Vinculum et angelus lapsus (english)
by Rosirinoa
Summary: Susanna knew about kidnappings, criminal organizations and demons only by books and movies but she never thought she would experience it first hand, much less by the hand of a sexy demon who would offer her a contract she could hardly refuse, especially after finding out that her family's dark past is chasing her. [SebastianxOC] [WilliamxOC]
1. Pactum

1.- Pactum

The dark night sky and its new moon announced that it was past midnight in a warehouse outside the city, which a group of criminals such as drug dealers, kidnapers and mercenaries used as hideout. They were all part of a bigger organization and they were drinking while waiting for their bosses' call, informing them what to do with the girl who was kidnaped that same afternoon.

She was a young girl, around the mid-twenties. Her name was Susanna and she had been brutally beaten. Blood stains were all around her hair and her dark eyes were filled with tears. She wondered how she got there, to this dark room that reeked of blood and narcotics.

Susanna was tied up with security bands on her foot and hands that left red marks on her tanned skin and began to think it was the end, but the thing that worried her the most was to leave her dad behind. He was surely dead worried about her in that very moment; she didn´t come back home after all. And then she remembered the series of strange event that happened during the past weeks.

She had always been somehow paranoid without a good reason; she thought she had a sixth sense that put her on alert after detecting an anomaly around her, but it got worse on the past few months, especially with those strange and frequent dreams that made her wake up in the middle of the night, very scared, or those shadows she though she saw on her room when her eyes opened. It didn't happen every night, so she didn't give it importance, but when she went out, there were things and shadows that passed on the corner of her eyes and some other occasions there was someone looking at her.

It was all very strange, but she thought that is was all part of her imagination, besides, she had many other things to worry about besides daydreaming about something going after her.

That's what she thought until one day, a couple hours before meeting some of her friends and go to the movies with them, she decided to stop by and have a cup of coffee. It was one of those modern coffee-bars near downtown and she loved to spend afternoons reading and having a beer in there.

She sat in one of the free tables and took a book of her favorite tales from her purse, when a male voice spoke to her.

"Are you able to sleep at night after reading Edgar Allan Poe, miss?" it was a smooth and polite voice. Susanna turned immediately to see who this person speaking to her was. She found something odd in the question, especially because lately she had been having many nightmares.

"No. Actually I enjoy this…" she mad a small pause before continuing, a necessary silence after seeing the man who was in front of her, dressed all in black "…kind of reading" he was tall and thin, but somehow well-built and his jet black hair had a rather fashion style, like one of those rock stars with longer bangs in the front and shorter hair on the back of the head.

"I see… do you mind if I join you?" he waited before sitting down just to make sure she nodded, but he knew it was practically impossible for her to say no to his request because of his demonic charm.

"Go ahead…" Susanna put the book down. She wouldn't be able to keep reading it after the mysterious man's appearance and he kept looking at her while he took a seat. His eyes had an intense and uncommon color, like deep blood red which contrasted with his pale skin and there was definitely something odd about him. Almost immediately a flirty waitress came by to give them the menu.

"Thank you… I would like a glass of water and…" he turned to see Susanna a beer for the lady… what kind of beer would you like?" the girl was a little surprised and thought that all that was one of those weird tactics to flirt with a girl. There was something in the man that picked her curiosity and her inner voice told her to play along with him.

"Corona, please" the waitress went away "so, who are you?"

"Oh, I do apologize for my lack of manners. My name is… " he had a mischievous smile, as if he was remembering something "Sebastian Michaelis."

"So you are not from this country" she tried to avoid his gaze and focused on his clothes: black pants that looked tailor made and that combined with military boots. He was also wearing a fashion leather jacket that smelled as fine as its quality and the zipper was on the left side and just a little down below his neck, showing his white skin behind the dark shirt.

"I'm afraid not. Actually…" he made a pause as if he tried to simplify the explanation "let's say that I came from England. As a matter of fact, it's been a long time since I have been looking for you, miss" and then, Susanna started to feel a weird vibe coming from Sebastian; something unexplainable and that brought shivers to her spine. He wasn't a common man, but before she could ask something else, the waitress came back with the drinks "thank you" he kindly smiled at the waitress and approached a little more to the girl who was sitting in front of him "and as I was explaining… I finally found you"

"I think you've got the wrong person"

"No. I assure you. I know you are Susanna Serafer, the only descendant from such family and the first woman in about a hundred years" Sebastian said with a serious tone, but she started to laugh.

"Are you serious?" she kept laughing "you're mistaking me with someone else… or is this a joke? Perhaps an attempt of kidnapping?"

"No, Milady. You are just the one I'm looking for and I do have something to prove it" he took something out from inside his jacket. It was a folder with many papers and it looked like one of those files from the detective movies "if you read this, you will know that I'm not lying. But I'm not here today hoping you would believe me, I'm sure that you will be convinced in due time. It's alright, take it. I have a copy of it and I've memorized all the information in there as well. Besides, you will have to go and meet your friends in a little while and I don't think you will be able to read the whole thing by then"

"What are you saying?" she was really alarmed this time "how do you know that…? Have you been following me?"

"Please relax, I'm not here to harm you. I'm just following your grandfather's last orders"

"Yeah, sure…" she adopted a cynical attitude as she drank her beer "my grandfather who, by all means, is looking for me and…"

"Even if you don't believe it, it's true… and actually, Mister Richard is already dead and I'm the one in charge of looking for you" he got closer to the girl and whispered "have you ever wondered what happened with your biological family?"

"But how do you?..." the girl was very shocked this time and she felt as if her blood froze; she was adopted and only her family knew about it. No one else had information or details about it, or how it happened because it was supposed to be a secret and the only person who could have revealed something to her was already dead, so there was no way that somebody else could know about it.

"Everything is here" Sebastian pointed at the folder "I would recommend you to read it and… I will contact you in a couple days" he leaned back on his seat and smiled with satisfaction, as if he found something funny in her angst.

"I…" she took the folder and put it in her purse, feeling his gaze on her. She started to feel uneasy and before she could say something else her cellphone rang.

"My, my…. It looks like you would have to leave sooner than I expected. Your friends are looking for you" he said before she answered the phone and indeed, it was one of her friends, asking her if she could arrive earlier "It's alright, I will pay and… I will see you later" he kindly smiled and made a friendly gesture with his head as the girl rushed to leave the place. That meeting had been very strange and uncomfortable for her.

It had been like one of those things that to movie characters, not to a normal person, which made everything scarier, not to mention that strange guy. Hanging out with her friend helped to forget about the man dressed in black, but she had a hunch as soon as she arrived to her house; it was a feeling that told her to be prepared, and so she began to read those papers.

It was a long report about a certain family and that, according to that man, was hers. Everything was too surreal to be true and all that information was rather shocking so she stopped and put it away, somewhere on the back of the closet where no one could find it and she could forget after a couple days, although the mysterious man was still inside her head.

A couple days later, one night of waning moon when Susanna walked back home, she faced a reminder of that strange encounter. She came from visiting her best friend and decided to not use the car and walk back home, because it wasn't so far and she enjoyed night walks so she put on her headphones and pushed play on her favorite song.

There weren't any sounds around the Street. It was past midnight and some cars passing by could be heard in the distance. She was alone and the small moon shone in the dark sky right above her. It was cold and the air brought unknown and enjoyable sensations, as if it carried expectancy along with it.

"You shouldn't walk alone at this time…"

"Jesus Christ!" she almost shouted after the big scare that made her jump a little. It was Sebastian who suddenly appeared next to her. He was all dressed in black, but this time he was wearing an elegant suit with a small pattern on the dark necktie, the jacket had a goth pattern as well. His skin looked even paler than last time she saw him and Susanna even though that he was a vampire. There was something supernatural in him.

"No, I'm afraid you couldn't be more mistaken…" he said with a seductive voice.

"Pretty funny…. Why are you following me?... is disturbing" the put her cellphone back on her pocket and held on tight to her keys. Perhaps she could hurt him if he came too close, although her intuition told her that it wouldn't be enough to stop him.

"My sincerest apologies. I didn't mean to scare you, but you shouldn't wander around at night. There' people looking for you as well and their intentions are not good at all"

"And yours are?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Not really, but I'm your best choice" there was malice in his smile and they kept walking towards the girl's house "did you read the documents?"

"I didn't finish" she said coldly, remembering all the information, dates, named descriptions and stories that narrated the tragic lived of that family; something way too overwhelming for her.

"That is because you are not sure of being part of that family yet… but I do have the prove on my hands" he pulled out a paper from his jacket "I've got a DNA test"

"What?! How did… oh, the beer…"

"That's right. After you left, I took the liberty of using that bottle to get your DNA and confirm that it was truly you, even though I already knew it. It's quite an annoying habit of your family to not reckon the most obvious things…" he frowned.

"What did you say?"

"Oh, excuse my boldness…."

"Whatever. About that document, I don't have a reason to care about a family that never cared about me. Besides, you are not a normal person" she looked at him with suspicion "what are you, really?" he laughed with some malice, as if he was waiting for the question all along.

"You are very observant, miss. I suppose it's that… family legacy that is starting to wake up, or is that mere guesswork?"

"Just ask my question"

"My, my…" he laughed again "I will, but not because you ask… right now you don't have any power on me" there was a peculiar tone on his voice "I will answer because I would like to see your reaction" and then he turned to look at her with bright eyes, those demon eyes that were pink, menacing and felines.

After seeing that, the girl fought with the urge of running away. That guy wasn't human and she didn't even want to imagine what he was. She just asked herself what kind of family was that? This man had something to do with all of them, and most likely it wasn't good at all.

"Forget it, I don't want to know. The less I get involved, the better. Leave me alone. I'm not interested on being part of a dark family, much less if they hang out with strange creatures like you"

"I'm sure you will regret it later"

"Are you treating me?... you don't have power over me either…" immediately she regretted saying that; Sebastian's aura changed and his demon eyes showed up again as he smiled.

"Actually you are an interesting girl… very well, I will leave you alone… but I suggest that you finish reading those papers. Once you look into darkness, it's impossible that it doesn't follow you. And be careful, there are some individuals looking for you"

"Goodbye" Susanna tried to open the door as fast as she could and the man walked to the other side of the street. And then he said.

"If you ever need it, call me. I'll be there and perhaps I will offer you one hell of a deal"

With that said, Sebastian disappeared and left the girl with many doubts and tempted to finish the report, not to mention how frightened she was after seeing those eyes; that look that stared at her every time she closed her eyes. It was like one of her darkest dream came true.

She had always wondered who her real parents were, what kind of biological family she had and if she would look like them… and now the answer was inside that folder filled with papers and photographs in her hands. It was a terrifying idea but she managed to gather enough courage to keep reading and finish with it that same night.

Nothing in there was normal, as if the Serafer family belonged to a Stehpen King's novel. There were many dramatic events and situations related with a secret society; the group had basically been hunting and murdering members of that family since at least 2 generations back. Every single one of them had been murdered, although there was no registry about Susanna's parents.

It was a wealthy family, senior partner on the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca whose headquarters were in England, but the company information was not inside the report.

Apparently the suspicious man, Sebastian Michaelis had received first hand all that information. Nevertheless, it was impossible because there were data, photographs and specific dates since the beginning of the twentieth century, and the man seemed on his early thirties. Everything became even more confusing and surreal. Besides, Susanna started to feel a strange sensation inside her chest, like a huge angst invading her and her senses betraying her as well. Secret societies, persecutions and a guy like Sebastian couldn't mean anything good. Suddenly all those conspiracy theories that made all people paranoid made more sense than ever and she hoped with all her strength that nothing was true, that this dark history hadn't found nor reached her.

She couldn't sleep well that night. Every time she managed to fell asleep nightmares appeared. Bad dreams that looked more real than ever. Strange symbols, fire all around, shadows staring at her and people she didn´t know judging her. Aside of that, she thought she spoke with someone multiple times during those dreams but she was sure there was no one else inside the room. The next day she woke up as if she had slept 10 hours. She wasn't tired at all; perhaps it was time to pay the neurologist a visit…

The next two days were rather normal and boring. She attended to German lessons, had lunch with his dad and during the afternoon she went to the grocery store, but when she came back home, just when she was getting out of the car and take out the house keys she felt an arm surrounding her from the waist while another hand covered her mouth with duck-tape. She struggled to get free and she was able to punch one of them and stab him with a pen she carried, but it was all in vain; there were three against her and in the end they knocked her down and fell unconscious.

When Susanna finally woke up, she was tied to a chair and her whole body hurt so badly. She was in a dark room with a small light bulb that didn't work properly. It wasn't long before one of the men approached her and punch her in the face.

"The boss said we shouldn't kill you… but he didn't say anything about punching you or breaking a couple bones. This is going to leave a scar…" said a tall and corpulent man while pointing at a bloody bandage on his arm.

"I think we might have some fun with her" another male voice came from behind Susanna, who was very scared and confused, but she couldn't talk because of the duck-tape.

"I don't understand a word you're saying…" the first man mocked "let me help you" and with a single movement he took off the tape, making her lower lip bleed "that's better"

"My family doesn't have any money, if that's what you want!"

"What do you mean with they don't have money?" a female voice was heard from the other room "that's bullshit… but that's not important right now. We were paid to kidnap you. Apparently your family stole something from our boss and he wants it back"

"I don't know what you're talking about… my family…"

"Your family is not what you think it is… we are talking about your biological family, of course. We don't care about those other idiots.

"Don't call them that…" her voice was breaking.

"Oh, look! Now she wants to order us around… I have the control here! understood?" one of the men approached her and punched on the ribs.

"Just be careful, the boss wants her alive. I don't know why, he's going to kill her anyways" Susanna was immediately alarmed after hearing that and sweat started to fall from her forehead. Everything seemed lost "I'm sorry that your family died protecting you… it's not a big deal, but I will never understand that motherly love" the woman approached and looked at her "do you know anything about what happened?"

"Do you?" the memories from the report came to Susanna's mind. Everything was detailed… everything except for her parent's information. That part was vague and it didn't fit with the version her adoptive family told her. The angst invaded her and her whole body ached.

"You're asking me if I do?" the woman started to laugh "I killed them!" Susanna's eyes were wide opened after hearing that. She never met her real parents; actually the concept she had about them wasn't good at all, but it was frightening to hear that from the killer herself "like we said before, you have something that belongs to our boss… and we've were looking for you, but your parent managed to hide you before we got them"

"Hide me?" she was more confused than ever and something else kept her a little dizzy and her thoughts were a little blurry. She had surely been drugged.

"You don't understand anything, evidently…" the woman mocked her "just so you know, I'll tell you what happened. We had been tracking you father down for a long time and when we finally found him in this country, very far from home, we found out that he had a wife and even a daughter, but when we had them, in that same place where you are now…. The baby was missing. Do you remember, John?"

"As if it was yesterday" his face was now closer to Susanna "your mom screamed of pleasure when I was with her"

"Disgusting!" was the only thing she could say after hearing such atrocity.

"Don't worry, you and me are going to have a great time too" John smiled, showing his yellow tooth and then the other woman stood between them.

"Yes, yes, you can have all the fun you want, but before that I want her to suffer with the story" she made a pause and then looked directly into Susanna's eyes "we tortured them for two days but they never said where you were hiding"

"Your father was the first one to die" said the other man, who had remained silent on the last minutes "he died after a really hard beat we gave him. It was such a pity, we could have sold some of his organs on the black market…"

"That's right, and your mother lasted only half a day more than him. They never said what happened to you. At least we could get rid of them, but it took us nearly 25 years to find you. It was a very long time and in a couple more hours you will disappear from this world. Oh, and don't worry about your adoptive father, we also have some plans for him… meanwhile, let's celebrate our victory over the Serafer family" the woman looked at her partners "we'll leave you alone for a while, so you can think about your pathetic existence… but when we are back, we'll take you to the boss"

Everyone left the room and Susanna didn't even know what to think. In a matter of days her life completely changed. It seemed like everything she considered as true and safe was slowly vanishing, leaving her alone. She never thought she might have a past that could chase after her, much less to put her on a situation like this, not to mention her parents, who she despised for a long time. Suddenly she felt great anger about everything that was happening. The pain in her body was piercing every time she took a breath, she got nausea, dizziness but the adrenaline caused by her anger kept her awake and alert.

Until then, her life hadn't been easy, but she couldn't complain; it was a common life, with happiness, sadness, traumas and special moments, like everyone else. Sometimes she felt as if she had gone through more than other people, but it was nothing compared to her actual reality.

That anger was inside her veins, it was a sensation she had never felt before; rage and impotence could barely describe what she felt and at the same time she felt guilty for having the wrong idea about her true family, as well as being responsible for whatever happened to her dad. This time she was in a big problem, and couldn't do anything about it…

A couple minutes later, John entered the room where Susanna was. He wore a perverse smile and it was clear he didn't have any good intentions. He had a small box with him and she didn't even wanted to imagine what would come net. She wished to be dead. It could have been an easy and fast way out, without any immediate remorse, but suddenly something inside of her woke up. Something very similar to her anger and despair.

"While you're still alive, the boss doesn't have any inconveniences on me having some fun with you" his face was very close to hers, and she was furious. She would have taken his eyes out if she had the chance.

"It's pathetic that this is the only way you could be with a girl…" she felt another punch on her face.

"Shut up!... in a few minutes you will beg me for…"

"This isn't over!... I swear that, if I die I will come back from hell itself just to make your life more miserable"

"You talk too much, bitch!" he silenced her with duck-tape and took out a knife from his pocket "I like the color of blood, don't you?" he cut her clothes, leaving little strings of blood on the skin where the knife passed "that's how I like it… and not, just the final touch" he took the box and took out a syringe with a pink liquid inside _"Deus est mortuum et nos occidimus eum…"_ the words sounded on Susanna's head, piercing her ears, as despair started to choke her.

What were those words? A prayer? An oath? But quickly her attention turned to the syringe. It was surely some kind of drug to make things "easier" for John. And as soon as she felt the needle touching her skin, that rage and anger intensified on her stomach. Her hands were sweaty and tears went out from her eyes. There was a huge energy that went from her gut to her arms; a genuine hate that could destroy anything, and then everything changed around her.

The walls, the roof and even John looked different, as if she was wearing some kind of glasses. All details could be seen now and there were even some shadows around her, dark silhouettes that were looking at her, but none of them moved to help her.

The girl was scared, but the anger inside was stronger; feeling so vulnerable in that circumstances filled her eyes with tears.

" _I swear, for the most valuable thing I have, that you will pay. For me and for my family. I will destroy you even if I have to sell my soul to the devil"_ she thought and tasted the blood on her mouth from all those punches in the face.

The drug started to work and she felt even more alert than before; maybe the shadows were part of the hallucination, but she felt some kind of around and anxiety inside of her, something that wasn´t normal. Her heart accelerated and she was about to pass out, and then a voice was heard inside her head.

"I can make these people disappear, if you want to; I can make your wishes of revenge come true"

"It's more than revenge… is hate… repudiation and despise for all this… for this stupid reality where I have to live. I never asked for this, and I won't leave without hurting them" the voice laughed after she answered.

"I like that…"

"I know it's not good… but… what is your price?" she coldly asked, as if she was someone else, but deep inside, she knew very well it was her inner self. Fear was left behind and it was tim to act.

"Only your entire existence, miss"

"If I have to pay that price, I won't stop with these people… it's too much" he laughed again "their deaths won't mean anything if there is something else behind them. I want everything ripped apart… I want them to regret hunting me for so long. Me and my family"

"It is possible that, what you are looking for goes beyond your imagination, are you willing to fulfill it?"

"I cannot accept being outraged or raped, nor being assassinated for reasons I don't even understand. I must do something, I can't let these idiots decide my fate"

"I can be under your entire disposition. Be your butler; your right hand so you can reach what you want" his voice was like velvet on Susanna's mind "and when I fulfil my side of the deal.."

"You will take my soul, right?"

"Your mortality and immortality in exchange of the services of a demon, what do you say?"

"I accept… but… make them suffer for what they have done to me and my family. I want them to feel pain and the punishment from hell itself right now"

"As you wish" there was some joy on his voice "but before that, we need to seal this contract with a mark… the more concupiscent the place, the more powerful will be the bond"

"On the jugular…"

Susanna felt something warmer on her neck. Perhaps it was the demon's hand, but after an instant, the warm feeling started to burn like no other thing. The pain lasted for a couple seconds that felt eternal.

After that, she was able to see colors again and she was back in the warehouse, still tied up but the guy that was on top of her was gone. Black shadow threw him to the other side of the room and the next thing she saw was a stream of blood staining the wall. Some punches were heard as well as painful laments; moans and groans filled with angst and then dismal begs that would cause nightmare on anyone who heard them.

It might have been the pain or the effect of the drug on her, but her back arched on the table she was laying on, and she felt an enormous heat on her core; a desire she had never experienced before and that was driving her crazy with every second, and as the sensation intensified, she rejoiced with the cries of those people who tried to hurt her.

A couple minutes or perhaps hours passed by and the last thing Susanna could see was Sebastian approaching her with a wicked smile and a syringe on his hand. It that moment, she thought her life would end by the hands of that demon who had betrayed her. Everything went dark again; darker than a new moon's night.

 _ **Author's notes:**_

 _ **Well this is the first chapter. It' just starting, as you can see, but I promise it will have action, romance, mistery and even some panic attacks, so please look forward to the next updates. This is the first time I write about Kuroshitsuji, so any suggestion, complain, comment, please let me know.**_

 _ **Have a nice weekend!**_


	2. The devil himself at her service

Chapter 2. The devil himself at her service.

The first thing Susanna noticed when she started to wake up was his aching body, as well as the light barely entering from the room's curtain. She immediately recognized the ceiling, the bed sheets and her room but there was something odd… something that didn't quite fit in there and when she opened her eyes, aside of the pain and the strange sensation on her neck, she noticed that she was not alone.

"Good morning, Milady. How are you feeling?" a man wearing a casual black suit was beside her bed and he was gently smiling at her.

"Sebastian?" she immediately recognized him but what was going on?

"Please, don't try to get up. You should rest…" the demon approached her, stopping her from getting out of the bed. He carried a glass with an orange beverage for her.

"My dad!... he shouldn't know that…" Sebastian once again stopped her from getting up and go outside to look for her father.

"Do not worry, I already explained everything… or at least the official and censored version. He believes I'm someone your biological family sent, especially dispatched to take care of you before you inherit the company"

"The company…" she put her hand on her forehead "this is too much to assimilate… and on top of that I have nausea"

"Well, it is normal, Milady… yesterday you were kidnaped, brutally beaten up and you were exposed to at least a couple drugs. Drink this, it´s serum. You need to be hydrated, the blood loss left you weak.

"What the heck did I get myself into?" she looked confused."

"Don't think about it now. You should get some more sleep. I'll inform your father about your condition. He might want to see you so… just tell him the necessary information, he doesn't need to know about the contact or…" he looked at her for an instant "or anything that happened yesterday" his voice became rather spooky.

"I'm surely full of bruises… and everything hurts… I don't want him to see me like this" there was a pause and she thought again about everything that had happened and then turned to see Sebastian with a terrified expression "you are a demon! What the hell!" she moved to the other side of the bed with a defensive attitude "this can't be happening, you're not a good person; you are not even a person! You are here just to take my soul away, I cannot trust you…" Sebastian tried to make her lay down again but she was too flustered and didn't let him touch her.

"We made a contract and I offered you my unconditional help. Don't be afraid, I will not hurt you. Your orders are absolute and I do not intent to harm you in any way" he smiled, trying to show some kindness and seem trustful.

"I don't believe you!" Sebastian laughed after hearing that and showed her the mark on his hand. It was a black pentagram that started to shine in a purple color. His eyes shone too, they had an intense pink glow that made his face look even more attractive and terrifying.

"This is the contract's signature. If I don't fulfil the conditions, the contract will be undone and… I won't get what I want" his smile was mischievous and his sharp fangs showed "I will not hurt you and I can surely guarantee you that. As your butler, I shall take care of you while the contract is active. Now, your father is coming, so… relax a little and please do not take off that bandage off your neck, or the contract mark will show and that would be difficult to explain, yes?"

Up until that moment, Susanna wasn't aware of the bandages she had on the arms, neck and feet. She knew her entire body should be a mess and just remembering the whole experience made her want to cry, but she didn't have much choice but to remain silent and appear strong in front of her dad.

Almost immediately there was a knock on the door and before it opened, Sebastian took a pair of black leather gloves and put them on, hiding the seal of the contract and his black nails. When the door opened, Susanna's father entered, he was very worried about her but as soon as he saw her awake he relaxed and embraced her.

"I thought I would never see you again" the old man hugged her and tears left his eyes. The same thing happened to her and then Sebastian left the room.

A couple minutes later, when the emotional moment had passed, Sebastian went back inside with a tray in his hands. He had brought tea and two cups neatly set. As soon as they saw him entering the door, he kindly smiled.

"I've brought you some tea, to relax a little" the butler served the hot liquid in both cups with a meticulousness worthy of the finest European butlers. Now he was wearing a formal suit, tailor-made with shirt and necktie, everything in black including the gloves. The jacket was fastened to one button, which framed his figure perfectly and made him look more serious and formal.

"Thank you, Sebastian… now, could you please explain, with details what's going on here?" Susanna's father asked and his face showed how worried he was, as the girl had a distressed gesture. What could they possibly explain, that didn't sound suspicious? Besides, her dad wasn't easy to fool and he wouldn't believe just any cheap excuse.

"Yes, sir. I understand how worried you might be and how vague my last explanation was. I might bring up some sensitive subjects but…" father and daughter listened what Sebastian was about to say "Susanna descends from an important family in Europe; Serafer, which is her real last name, might not be very popular, but nowadays she is the only inheritor of "AstraZeneca", a company that…"

"It's a pharmaceutical company" the father interrupted. He was rather impressed with the explanation and tried to make some conjectures.

"That's right… a few months ago, Lady Susanna's grandfather… Richard Serafer passed away and I was sent to look for his descendants. Soon, I found out that the Lady's parents died soon after she was born. You see, her biological father escaped some years before her birth and came to this country. In here, he met a girl, they got married and had a daughter, but there were many political and economic interests in AstraZeneca at the time, so they were persecuted and finally led to give the girl on adoption" there was a little pause "for what I know, they gave her in adoption to protect her, and that's when you, sir and your late wife appeared and took care of her. I'm very grateful that you took care of her and protected her up until now"

Sebastian put his right hand on his chest and bowed, a gesture that exalted his formality and gratitude, like a real diplomat "but I'm afraid those people who…" there was a small silence which only the girl could understand; he was arranging the story "have economic interests want to take over the company at any cost. That is why they kidnapped your daughter. I was lucky to track her down on time, and with a heavy security operation we were able to rescue her."

After hearing that, the older man was speechless; he had never been too talkative, but he never thought her daughter might have that kind of background. For a couple instants, Susanna wondered if the story was convincing enough and looked at Sebastian with angst in her eyes; whatever happened, her dad couldn't know the truth.

"I understand" the man said at last "did they hurt you very bad?" he looked at his daughter, showing the fear he felt inside before the idea of them doing something else to harm her,

"I was lucky they only beaten me up and…" she looked at the butler "Sebastian took me to the hospital" the man remained silent, as if he was organizing all the information he just heard, but suddenly he asked with distress on his voice.

"Will Susanna have to go away?" he really wished Sebastian would tell him otherwise and it showed on the melancholy inside his eyes.

"I'm afraid so" the demon answered, and just before the girl could say something, he explained "she must take care of the family business"

"But….!"

"It's ok, my girl" he dad looked at her with tenderness in his eyes, a gesture that amazed Sebastian "I understand"

"You never mentioned that I would have to leave" I thought that…" there was a pause after her complaining and then she looked at his father "I won't leave you, dad"

"I can't go with you" he answered and then his eyes filled with tears "this is the moment I always feared… but if you come to visit once in a while and we have videoconferences once a week, it won't be so bad, you know?"

"And I'm sure you can visit any time" she hugged him and looked again at the butler, who understood that he had to get out of the room for the time being.

A couple days passed by and Susanna's wounds healed little by little, but something inside her had changed. The trauma was too big and she tried to bury the memories of the kidnaping in a lost place of her mind. She wanted to forget the smell of that warehouse and the filthy hands of that man who was about to rape her. Aside of that, she would have scars on her torso that would surely remind her of the whole experience and what was about to happen.

She had trouble sleeping and nightmares kept haunting her, although it had been a relief to not see those shadows around her at night. The last time she saw them was two days after the kidnap and something told her that Sebastian had something to do with it.

She tried to keep away from all that as she found difficult to get used to her new reality, especially if it included a butler that followed her everywhere, not to mention his strange attitude and supernatural presence.

She often thought about one of Sebastian's comments; a couple of solemn and unexpected words for her.

" _The contract we have makes me your humble servant until the day you finish with those who tried to kill you. If you wish something, you only have to ask for it and you will have it; I won't refute or disprove any of your orders, as long as you express them as such or your life is not in danger."_

Yes, she had sold her soul on her own freewill, but she couldn't help but feel scared for what would come next. She was afraid of living next to a demon; a supernatural creature, infernal and pure evilness incarnated. He devil himself at her service.

There was an agreement between her and Sebastian, at least to make things functional and keep appearances with her father: the butler would accompany her during the day and he would have to return to his hotel or wherever he was staying at during the night. The truth was different, when night came, Sebastian would pretend to leave and then he would check the house's surroundings, looking for suspicious people and then he would spend the rest of the night in the roof, just above the girl's room in case there was a treat and to spend time with the cats that visited him.

Susanna tried too hard to keep her life as it was. She knew she would have to say farewell to all that soon enough, so she didn't interrupt her classes. Besides, it helped her to forget about the kidnap, at least for a couple hours.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I can go to my class alone!" she as as she took her schoolbag

"Miss, I don't think it's necessary to review, again, all the risks that you might be exposed to and…"

"Alright, alright, but at least let me drive" she took the car keys, finally giving up.

"I can agree to that, but when we move to England…"

"Yeah, we still have time before that…"

The girl left the house, waiting for Sebastian to accompany her. She didn't have another option but to get used to him, despite how uncomfortable it might be. Her life had changed radically; one day she was a common person and the next one she was heiress of a powerful company and part of a family that was marked with a dark past what haunted them. And to make things worse, she would have to move to England, a very faraway country from hers, leaving her friends and, up until that moment, family behind, not to mention the constant and distressing guilt of selling her soul to the devil; part of her was not hers anymore, it was waiting to be taken away and she couldn't stop thinking that perhaps, it would have been better to die before making that contract.

Lucky for her, Sebastian had granted her a month and a half to finish with her business and to assimilate everything. Time was what she needed and her new butler was willing to give her that, but as soon as the day came, they would have to go to England and lead the family business as well as look for clues regarding her family's past and fulfil the contract.

The idea of Sebastian being a demon was something hard to take in, but he made things easy because he acted as if he was a human… most of the time… the fact that he didn't eat nor sleep at all would be suspicious for anyone, so she ordered him to act as normal as possible, and that included keeping his "power" demonstrations and eccentricities at minimum. There was also the constant battle so the man wouldn't look strangely unreal. No one could have that stance of his, appearing so straight and relaxed at the same time.

On the other hand, Susanna always had her guard up when she spoke with Sebastian. His true identity was always in her mind and she would immediately rise an invisible barrier between them. He noticed that but didn't do anything about it; he had lots of time ahead so he could earn her trust little by little, besides it added excitement to his game.

When they arrived to the language school Sebastian got out from the car, hurrying to open the door for her and made some conversation.

"It's good that you are taking German lessons. The more languages you speak, the better for business meetings, although I will always be there for you in case you need a translator"

"Well, is there something you cannot do?" her voice sounded bored, by that moment she was already used to the demon's relative omnipotence.

"Of course: anything that goes against your orders, miss" he was being flirty again, Sebastian acted as if he wanted to impress anyone who came near him and such attitude bothered Susanna a lot, especially when his charming attitude appeared,

"Oh, go to hell… " she said in annoyance.

"That would certainly make me feel like home…" a mischievous smile appeared on his face.

"Sebastian…" she looked at him with anger on her eyes "just shut up" he nodded and smiled as if he was an angel while they walked towards the school "I'll see you here in a couple hours, ok?" the butler nodded again and followed her with the eyes as she walked up the stairs.

Definitely, this new contract would be something different and it would keep him entertained for a while. Who knows what would happen this time, and that was exactly the fun part: every contractor was different and the conditions changed every time, although for Susanna, he already knew what the outcome would be; he had planned it long before everything started and he only had to wait and see how his prey evolved and how long before he could claim her soul.

A month and a half ran away like water, but it was precious time that Sebastian used to familiarize with the girl's tastes, cravings and whims. It was difficult at first because she wouldn't leave her room. After the kidnap, she barely left the house, besides she didn't trust him and evaded him whenever she could; she hid herself drinking every time her dad left for work. At that point, the demon decided to find out all about her hobbies, the food she liked, places she used to go and organized reunions and little partied with her friends. After that, he started to take her to museums, since she loved history, art expositions or even the movies making Susanna trust him little by little.

Apparently she held a big grudge and bitterness after what happened, but there was a good natured person inside of her, which didn't come out easily but it was evident in her soul and Sebastian knew it.

At last, the day when they would have to move to England had arrived. Susanna couldn't sleep the night before that and early in the morning a cab was waiting for her and Sebastian to take them to the airport.

The farewell between Susanna and her father was, like any other, very sad. They both cried and held each other. They promised to keep in touch and visit as soon as possible. All those words trapped in her throat expressed the gratitude and love she had for her father, who despise anything, had been the one who raised her since she was a baby. Right before getting in the cab, the father looked askance at Sebastian and whispered something to him without her daughter noticing.

Things would ever be the same. Susanna didn't know if she would see her father again. Perhaps everything would end soon and her soul would be taken away by the demon… or maybe the distance would be so big that they would forget about each other, and that broke her heart.

They arrived to the local airport, where a private jet which belonged to AstraZeneca waited for them.

"Are you ready, Milady?... you won't come back soon. Here starts your new life" Sebastian said as he offered her his hand to get in the plane. She didn't notice until that moment, but for the first time since she met him, he looked like a real butler; black trousers and a tail jacket, immaculate white shirt and gloves and a dark gray vest. The black and slim necktie gave the last touch to the elegant outfit. And then she thought he looked slightly more attractive with that look

"Let's go" Susanna took his hand and got on the plane. It would be a long and monotonous journey, but at least she would have a couple hours to sleep, and that's exactly what she did. She didn't have nightmares anymore, but she felt tired, so her eyes closed as soon as the plane departed. The second part of the journey consisted on a series of recommendations from the Butler, who didn't skip any detail on his advises and explanations about her new life. Apparently he knew everything about the Serafer family, as well as the proper behavior of the English high class. He also made a lot of emphasis on something.

"From now on, instead of using a bandage to hide the contract mark, you could use a neckerchief or a scarf. That way, it will only look as an accessory that you like"

Of course hiding the pentagram would be a good idea. It might look like a cool tattoo, very rock style but not so appropriate with the English business class.

Those were 10 long hours of flight without stopovers and not much to do. When they finally arrived, Sebastian was the first one to go out. He wanted to make sure everything was under control. The girl followed him soon enough and they walked down the stairs that took them to the landing strip.

"As I was saying in the plane, all arrangements have been done so you can live in the Serafer's residence. And starting the day after tomorrow, you will take some intensive courses of management, English, etiquette, negotiations… but before that we need to do some shopping, urgently"

"Wait, what's wrong with my English?" she said in a huff.

"Nothing, it's just that… for practical purposes it would be better if you changed you accent a little" she glared at him "there is nothing bad with you accent, miss it is actually quite good, but for European businessmen it would be better if…"

"Just a bunch of shallow details… alright. I don't have another option, right? but something tells me you will enjoy this…" she noticed the mischievous smile on his butler.

"What can I say? I do enjoy my job"

"Pretty funny..."

"And about etiquette…"

"Are you implying that I don't know how to behave in public?" she was joking; she knew she wasn't a princess but her butler's answer trully annoyed her.

"Based on my observations while we were in your home country, I may add that there could be improvements… lots of improvements"

"What did you say?" she looked at him very annoyed and she was getting angrier with every second he had that mocking smile on his face.

"Sebastian! You just landed and you are already making the Lady angry" a male voice sounded near the airport hangar. He was a tall and grey haired, standing next to grey Rolls Royce Phantom.

"Milady Susana, it's an honor for me to introduce you to Thomas Haggard, who will be your personal chauffeur, as well as security chief from now on" the girl looked at him with some distrust and then she looked back at her butler, expecting an explanation about it "allow me to inform you that Mr. Haggard has been in charge of the security for the Serafer family for twenty years now, not to mention that he knows quite lot about your family and he was your grandfather's most trusted man" that last thing was said with a persuasive tone.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Haggard" he shook her hand "I apologize for my caution but… I suppose you understand my situation"

"Do not worry, Milady. It's a pleasure to finally meet you" he looked at her for a little while "I'm sorry, but I cannot help but notice that you look a lot like your grandmother, Eleanor when she was your age… but apparently you have you grandfather's character, as well as that look on your eyes"

"…Thank you…" she smiled but felt a little nostalgic inside. She had never heard a comment such as that one and she was not used to it; she had already accepted that she would never look like anyone form her family because she was adopted. But now everything was different… way different.

"Please, get in the car. It's time for you to meet your new home" Thomas bowed a little as he approached the car, somehow communicating the girl that this would be the start of a completely new life, full of new things that she would have to adapt to.

Right before getting in the car, Susanna looked at the plane that had brought them to England and the blue sky above them for one last time; she was saying goodbye to her relative freedom.

The road to her new house was long; it took them around an hour, so she decided to put on her headphones as she observed the landscape through the window, although for a couple instants she was distracted by the car's inside which was beautiful and had an exquisite white leatherwork as well as details and boards made of mahogany. The backseats had two armrests that kept her away from Sebastian, who turned to look at her once in a while, to check if she needed something or hoping she might want to talk.

Susanna barely spoke at the plane, it was the butler the one who spoke most of the time, explaining English customs, schedules she would have to follow and some advises regarding how she had to present herself with others.

The butler's duties were mainly take care of her and make her daily life easier; the demon's task was to find and help her destroy all those people who killed her family and tried to hurt her. In other words, make sure his part of the deal was done so he could take what he wanted.

The landscape was beautiful. Summer was about to start and the trees seemed happier wearing green, contrasting with the idea Susanna had about England being cold and grey.

"It looks beautiful, isn't it?"

"I've never been in another country, so…. I think I can get used to a landscape such as this" the girl smiled a little as she removed her headphones and put the ipod on her pocket "…in time"

"And wait until you see the garden, I'm sure you will love it. As soon as you are settled in, you can take a walk in there if you'd like to"

"Yes, I'd like that."

"I will make preparations when we get home" Sebastian smiled.

When they finally arrived to the Serafer residence, Susanna observed everything as if it was unreal, like taken out from a movie. As soon as they approached the house's grounds a huge metal gate opened. It had a heraldic crest on the top; a crest with two wings. After they entered, the first thing she noticed was the path made of stones that were almost blue, as well as the green gardens, bushes and trees with different shaped, each one perfectly trimmed.

The car was parked right in front of a big mansion made of stone, with classic architecture, as well as some gothic details. The roofs were almost black, which contrasted with the light grey stones around the building. It had three floors and at least eight rooms.

Susanna was about to get out from the car, but Sebastian was faster and opened the door for her, helping the girl to get out from the car.

"How…?" she was about to ask; just a moment before he was sitting next to her and the next one he was opening the door. Being the demon he was, the unnatural speed was rather common "never mind…"

"Milady…" he followed her with his eyes as she stepped out from the car "welcome to your new home" he smiled and pointed at the mansion, which was impressive.

The girl stood there, speechless for a couple moments. She wanted to study the whole place and get familiarized with it, but she knew it would take her some time. It was such a big place and too luxurious to be true… the reality shock was getting more bizarre with every passing second and for an instant she thought she was dreaming, until a female voice distracted her.

"She's here! Fer, come on, the young mistress just arrived!" almost immediately a girl went out from the house. She was 25 years old at most, with blonde hair in a ponytail. Her merry eyes were dark green and she wore a classic maid outfit. She was smiling and happy to see them. The girl rushed down the few steps at the entrance and approached the car.

Right behind her, another young man appeared. He looked younger than he actually was… perhaps 29 years old. He had freckles on his pink cheeks and light brown hair that became blonde as the hair was longer. He used a headband, like the ones used by soccer players to keep his hair away from his eyes; he even looked as if he had just went running or exercising because he was sweating. His eyes were dark brown and the expression on his face was kind and somehow innocent.

"Miss Susanna, Let me introduce you to Abygaeil, the housekeeper"

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Sussanna" the blonde girl shook the other girl's hand "you can call me Abby. Welcome, we were eagerly awaiting you"

"Nice to meet you…" she said a little bewildered after Abby's enthusiasm, as well as her accent; she wasn't used to English accent, and although she quite liked it, it was still a little hard to follow.

"And this is Ferdinand, he is in charge of the house maintenance and handyman" Sebastian pointed at the other man.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Miss" she approached and greeted her with solemnity "if you ever need something, don't hesitate on asking and… I'm really sorry for my looks right now, I was just finishing installing the curtains in your room"

"It's really nice to meet you, Ferdinand"

"Please, call me Fer. We are very glad that you are finally here" the young man smiled, making Susanna feel at peace after the warm welcome.

"Very well, first I believe you should get more comfortable and perhaps take a little break in your room, after that we can start with the house tour. And while we are at it, what would you like to have for dinner, Milady?" Sebastian looked at his pocket watch.

"Anything would be fine. I don't fancy anything special"

"Alright… Abby, take care of that, please. Fetuccini fromaggio would be fine"

"Understood!" Abby ran towards the house.

"Fer, help us out with the luggage, please. Now, would you please come with me, Milady?" the butler seemed to have everything under control and perfectly calculated.

The house was huge and decorated with the finest things and excellent taste. It had a classic style but it was combined with modern things, making it look more elegant. Of course, many ornaments and paintings were family heritage.

"All decorations have remained just like you grandfather left them, but feel free to change anything you don't like" the butler explained as they went up the stairs, as if he was reading Susanna's mind.

They went directly to the girl's room. The tour would wait until she made herself more comfortable, although she has already started to memorize the rooms and halls.

"This will be your room" Sebastian opened the double wooden door and stood next to it, indicating Susanna to enter the room and right behind her was Fer, carrying the suitcases. Her first impression was that the room was quite cold, but ideal for resting. The bed was between two windows that let the sunlight enter the room and there was also a balcony with some comfortable patio chairs.

It had a wooden floor and a queen size bed with night tables and lamps on each side, and right in front of them, small grey carpets that combined with the dark walls. There was also a mirror next to another door that lead to a dressing room and bathroom. There was also another small table next to a chest of drawers and two very comfortable sofas. It was a big room and well illuminated. It might needed her personal touch, but she was quite happy with the design of the place.

"I… love it" she smiled as she looked around; a big and genuine smile after so long.

"Mr. Sebastian sent us clear and detailed instructions to prepare your room" Fer put the suitcases next to the bed "he also specified that the curtains had to be dark and double so you could sleep well"

"…Thank you" she looked at Sebastian with some regret in her eyes. She had always thought the worst things about him, and not without a reason; he was a demon, but little by little he demonstrated that he was there to help her, or that at least he cared and didn't deserve her total disdain

"My pleasure" was the only thing he said. He already knew how difficult it was for her to sleep and not waking up in the middle of the night with strange visions, so a dark room was ideal for her.

"I suppose you'd like to unpack and perhaps rest al little. If you'd like to, I can give you a tour around the house later on" Fer was very friendly and transmitted her trust.

"I'd love to"

"We'll leave you alone for a while. If you need something, just call us. We'll be on the 1st floor" Said Sebastian as he left the room with Fer and closing the door.

Susanna took some time to sit on the bed and look around. The room had apparently been recently remodeled and she was fascinated with her new dressing room, where she could keep lots of blouses, trousers, jackets, dresses, shoes… and she didn't forget about the bathroom, which was quite big and with a bathtub next to a polarized window from where the garden could be seen. There should be a beautiful view at night.

Unpacking could be left for later and she decided to start with the tour around the house along with Fer, who really knew every inch of the house. They started with the garage and then they walked around the great and colorful gardens and the small pond behind the house. The whole place was enclosed by a wall with an electric fence at the top, preventing anyone from entering the place without permission. Besides, there were multiple cameras around, which guaranteed the complete security of the place.

Everything was clean and neat. The living room and dining room have beautiful paintings that went from impressionist to the best works of Van Gogh. Apparently, the Serafer family collected art. The dining room was high, and the table could hold up to twenty people. As for the living room, it had fluffy sofas and a nice fireplace which matched the wooden floor and the furniture. There were also pictures of her family on the fireplace wall, but she would leave that for later.

Everything was decorated with an excellent taste and all ornaments were fine and luxurious, each one set in the right place, but the house didn't look like a museum because it was warm and welcoming. It had potential to be a home.

The next day, Sebastian took Susanna for some shopping. It was imperative for her to have a wide wardrobe which included clothes for any type of occasion, especially if she would soon lead the pharmaceutical company.

The idea of shopping wasn't fun at all; it wasn't even attractive. At the moment, she didn't exactly want to be surrounded by strange people on a country she didn't know and choosing clothes, but Sebastian could be so persuasive and most of the time he got what he wanted, so even if Susanna opposed him, there were some battles that were already lost. At least she managed to evade her butler's discreet flirting, which wasn't exactly her cup of tea; he was way too bigheaded and arrogant, besides paying much attention to them would rest her authority, not to mention that it would elevate even more Sebastian's huge ego.

In exchange of being patient and do all the necessary shopping, Susanna decided to get some information from the demon, as soon as they were done with the clothes and Sebastian had taken all the bags to the car. They took a little walk around the mall while they talked.

"Around the time we met… you mentioned something about a family heritage that was awaking. What did you mean by that?"

"It was that night when you walked home, I remember…" he was thoughtful and adopted a serious attitude "I didn't think you were paying attention"

"I have good memory for details"

"Sometimes you remind me of your grandfather " there was a little smile on his face and after a pause his intense eyes focused on her as if he was about to say something very serious; an attitude she had never seen on Sebastian. She was almost sure that his eyes glowed for a bit.

What was that heritage he spoke about?

 _ **Author notes:**_

 _ **Hello!**_

 _ **Well this is chapter 2. I hope you liked it what do you think? I'm planning on uploading a chapter every week so look forward to it and happy weekend!**_


	3. The reality

Chapter 3. The reality.

Sebastian and Susanna walked around the shopping mall, apparently having a casual conversation, but the truth was way too different.

"What is this heritage you spoke about?" curiosity sounded on her voice.

"It's something you should have noticed several years ago, but the moment I started to look for you and…" there was a small pause; he was omitting something "…contact you, it became more notorious"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm sure you've noticed some strange things around you. Perhaps shadows or you could see things that pass right next to you and then disappeared" he waited until the girl nodded "they are reflexes of the many things existing in this universe and most humans cannot see them"

"Aliens!" she joked.

"It's good to see you keep that sense of humor…"

"You mean that the Serafer family is able to see… energy projections?"

"That is correct" he remained silent for a while, thinking about what he just said.

"And that accelerated because I was in contact with you?"

"Yes, I made sure it awoke. That way, everything will be easier for our contract to be fulfilled" Sebastian was more serious than usual and she couldn't help but think that he was hiding something. Still, she didn't have much interest in that topic; she was afraid of what could happen and the more she could postpone it, the better.

The next day, Susanna's classes started. They were the kind of courses she would have to take in order to manage the company and make sure she was at the same level of the other stockholders. She was afraid and she reproached herself for it. She had faced worse difficulties, so a couple of economy classes couldn't be that bad.

She had to take different classes: business administration, modern economy theory, negotiation, language and commercial laws. It was like a semester at college, but instead of her studying political philosophy like she used to, she was learning about practical business situations. A change she couldn't avoid.

Sebastian made sure she had the best professors he could find. Some of them taught on prestigious universities and others were genius at what they did. He also made sure high executives from AstraZeneca kept her informed about the company's stocks and movements. Those classes were done at the Serafer residence, where Susanna remained the whole day, studying and getting used to her new duties. After two weeks of intense courses and different "virtual simulations" she finally understood how to manage the business, at least in theory, and at the same time her mind was entertained. Nevertheless, she had trouble sleeping and she woke up a couple times during.

Some of those times, Sebastian made her tea so she could relax and sleep well, while he told her stories about his life at the beginning of the century or details about the fancy mores during the Victorian era; bedtime stories she soon considered as the best part of the day.

She paid attention to all her lessons; it wasn't like she was there to get a grade or a diploma. This was real life and any mistake could bring negative consequences for her company.

"Good morning, Milady. I'm glad to inform you that you don't have any activity nor class scheduled for today. You are free for the whole day" said Sebastian right after entering the room and approaching her to gently wake her up; if there was something he had learned well during the past months, was to not wake her up abruptly or opening the curtains... no, that wasn't a good idea at all, unless he wanted a pillow or a shoe thrown at his head.

"Really?... what time is it?" she slowly woke up.

"It's 9 AM"

"Then let me sleep a couple more hours"

"As you wish, but keep in mind that you could take the opportunity to learn something else about your family" the butler tried to persuade her.

"That can wait until 12, let me sleep…" she put a pillow on her face so she could sleep again.

By midday she woke up and made up her mind to research about her families past; she was sure there would be something on that history which could be useful to understand why and how everything had started. She headed to the study on the second floor, where Sebastian had prepared a series of files, books and photographs.

The place was decorated just like her grandfather left it, with a classic and rustic style. The walls were made of dark wood and an elegant desk was in front of the window, with a unique view of the garden and the horizon. There were also a couple of photographs in those walls, but Susanna asked Fer to take them away and the only remaining frame was the one with her grandfather's image, staring at her while she worked.

Once she was at the study, she checked all those documents, diaries and notes made by her late ancestors. She looked for some information that could explain why all that happened to her family. At the same time she learned many things about her family and felt some kind of identification with them, not only because they looked alike, there were some perceptions and opinions she shared with them. And then, for the first time since she arrived to that house, she took a look at the photos in the living room, now knowing who those people were.

The next day was rather normal, nevertheless Susanna couldn't possibly imagine about her butler's plans for her. Everything appeared in order and his attitude didn't change, but Sebastian was waiting for the perfect moment to show her the scope of their contract and give her a least a small taste of the things she would have to face.

The night was approaching and Susanna's classes were already over, as well as the strenuous paperwork, so she took a couple minutes to relax; she still had about an hour before dinner and she decided to have a whiskey in the rocks but as soon as she sat in the leather couch, Sebastian entered the study. He had a pair of folders in his hands and his usual calm expression.

"How was your day, young mistress? Someone told me you're doing great in business and administration classes"

"I'm tired… but all this circus will worth it" she took a sip from her glass, looking serious because that was the mask she learned to use so she could hide her fears and anguish after the past experiences.

"I know it will" Sebastian smiled evilly for an instant "and I believe it's time we start working on that little something you want to destroy…" the demonic seal suddenly felt warm in Susanna's neck; she knew what he meant.

"I assume you already have information and whereabouts of those people"

"It would be better if we start with the basics… there's something you should know"

"Why am I not surprised that you didn't tell me everything, demon?" she tried to make her voice sound as rude as possible; her guard was up.

"To be honest with you, I was waiting for the right moment to tell you this. I didn't consider it adequate to tell you all, because of the nature of this information.

"Nice excuse!" she said sarcastically, crossing her legs while sitting in the couch "or perhaps this task is way too difficult for you?" she arched an eyebrow, knowing that Sebastian's pride was very susceptive.

"Listen…" he approached her with steady steps and that demonic glow in his eyes, threatening and challenging "fulfilling the contract will take some time, as I said before, so you better start trusting me" he stood in front of her, looking down at her as an indicative of the deal they had. A gesture to make her angry.

"Sure, especially because that attitude of yours if worthy of all my trust… let me remind you that avoiding some details makes you a liar and… from a legal perspective, that could even cancel the contract" she didn't move from her seat and just leaned on the back of the couch as an answer to the butler's attitude, who leaned over her. Now their faces were very close.

"I considered that this information would affect you on a negative way" and suddenly his voice pitch was lower "humans are so fragile that I could almost feel sorry for you. Don't worry, I won't consider your pathetic psychological state anymore. Let's see if what you show isn't only a facade, Miss"

"You are an insolent…" Susanna wanted to punch him in the face, but she didn't know exactly why. Without any doubt his comment was hurtful, but Sebastian's attitude was haughty and challenging, and at the same time she detested his closeness, not because she disliked it; on the contrary, it was a sensation she enjoyed more than she wanted to reckon.

"Hmm… whatever…" he laughed evilly right before putting the right hand on her head.

Susanna felt immediately a swirl all round her, as if she was falling from a cliff and the room disappeared. Now everything was dark and dry, like hollow. She tried to yell, but she failed. Nothing was heard there, nothing but her voice in her own head. Perhaps that was it; the end, and Sebastian had claimed her soul.

She always pictured heaven as a joyful place, filled with light and her beloved ones near, while hell as an uncomfortable place with different tones of red all around, and where the worst punishments were felt, but since that moment she thought that, maybe the worst thing would be staying in that place; a black and empty limbo, where time couldn't be calculated and alone… alone for all eternity, trapped in her own thoughts that would turn into executioner with each passing moment; every passing hour. Susanna felt anguish and had difficulty breathing. There was sweat in her forehead and her wands ached. She wanted to run but her legs didn't move. It was the end.

Suddenly, a laugh and a voice were heard.

"The end?" he laughed again "no way. Let's say that this is just an... intermediate space; a dimension created so you can see what I know.

Susanna couldn't speak and Sebastian's voice was inside her thoughts. They would have to communicate through her mind, apparently.

"Sebastian? What the fuck?" she was in despair

"As soon as you get used to this darkness we'll begin" his voice was calm but she continued with the panic attack; now she was afraid of being trapped there with the demon "don't be afraid. I won't harm you"

"Get out of my mind!"

"Just listen to the sound of my voice… relax and you will see what I'll show you about the past" she tried to breathe and calm herself, but it was difficult. She felt insecure and way too conscious of her own mortality; a sensation that was more frequent every day "focus in the sound of my voice and it will be over soon" there was an echo inside her head "It will be difficult, but it's necessary for you to know what you have to do. After all, you cannot fight mirages, so you better see the truth" a moment later she calmed down and she could see a small light in the distance, and it became bigger and bigger "alright, let us begin"

And then Susanna was in the middle of an elegant living room with a beautiful wooden piano and a man with an antique suit playing it, as if he was trying to translate the tune I his head with his hands. It was night and the place was well illuminated. The wallpaper was dark blue and combined with the fine decorations that appeared from another era.

"1880, Stockholm, Sweden" Sebastian's voice was still in her head "that man is your 3rd great-grandfather"

The man had her eyes on the keys, but her mind was somewhere else. He had a nostalgic aura that made him look distanced from reality if that is what that vision actually showed.

Someone knocked on the door a couple minutes later and three men spoke with him but nothing could be heard from the conversation. Then, they went out as soon as the man took his hat. The next vision was on a dark street where the four men quietly walked until they reached a big and mysterious house. I looked like a simple house, but there was something odd about it. They knocked the door and entered. After that, the scene showed the same men along with other three; seven in total. They walked down some stairs and the one in the front carried a torch to light the way down.

The 3rd great grand-father walked right behind the man with the torch. Their places couldn't be random. Perhaps they followed a hierarchy expressed with actions and not words; everything looked as if it was taken from a movie edited without sounds and cut scenes.

Then, they appeared on a basement, on a round table and speaking silent words. Apparently it was a common conversation but a few moments after that, the leader took a book and read it for his companions.

The next scene was in the same living room from before, where the piano looked as another protagonist. In that room, Susanna's 3rd great grand-father was hugging a younger boy of perhaps 18 years old.

"That's your great great grand-father. A boy who will change your family's luck forever and ever" Sebastian's comment sounded like a curse.

Another scene showed the father and the son with those other men in the basement. It looked as if several years had passed and not the young boy was a young man and he was sitting next to the leader. They were talking and apparently exchanging ideas, although the younger one was leading the whole discussion. After that, another scene where the 3rd great grand-father wasn't there anymore and the group of men was gathered, although something was different.

The doom was darker and barely illuminated with candles. There was also a big book and some parchments in the table, which had a big vessel on its center as well. They stood in their places while the 2nd great grand-father spoke some words and held a black pearl in his right hand, and a sand clock in his left one.

"Interesting, right?"

"Are they… summoning a demon?"

"No… as you already know, those ostentatious rituals and ceremonies are not necessary to summon us. They are asking for something. An orison.

"What are they asking for? Sebastian sighed and Susanna was pretty sure that he had an irreverent smile on his face.

"What all humans want: power… but look closely, something is about to happen"

And then the fire in the candles extinguished and the darkness filled the place, although the black pearl shone. There was a purple shine which turned exactly into seven rays of light.

Seven sparks that hit each men in the chest as if they were burning. Their faces showed hurt and for a moment, howls of agony and pain were heard inside that basement. An impressing scene, not just because of the pain, but for the environment of the place; spooky and hot, while a black shadow flew around the men in pain.

It was a feminine silhouette whose face could barely be seen, but his eyes were all black, no pupils, like a black balls only covered by the eyelids, and then it looked at Susanna, as if she was conscious of the witnesses in the scene. Her lips moved like she was trying to tell the girl something, but there was no sound.

The girl felt her heart stopping for a moment as that evil glare pierced into her, and the movements on her lips were perfectly memorized by Susanna. A horrible sensation that didn't compare at all with the first time she met Sebastian. It was ten time worse and more terrifying.

"Enough of this images. Let's go a little forward" Sebastian's voice was firm. Evidently he noticed what happened.

"What was that?"

"A fallen angel. But we still have much more to see"

They appeared on a different place. A garden filled with flowers and a table. A beautiful scenario behind a big and fancy house where a party was being held. A lot of people was there, but in the garden, two men walked: the 2nd great grand-father and a younger boy.

"My great grand-father?"

"That is correct. Listen to what they are saying, it's important"

Both men walked in the garden, approaching a small path surrounded by bushed that looked like walls.

"What is it you want to tell me, father?"

"You are not a child any more, and you should know certain things. Things about our family, the kind of knowledge that passes on with every generation. It is a secret that goes from father to son, and in the past few years, is more valuable than ever"

"Are we going to talk about business? Really? Father, we are in the middle of my mother's birthday party, can't we leave this for later?"

"It's not about business" his voice was authoritarian and the boy immediately understood how important this thing should be "you are part of the Serafer family. We have a lot of history behind us. Sweden has always been our home and since you were a child, I've taught you to love it. I trust your studies in chemistry will be useful when the time comes"

"They will, father"

"Someday you will be the head of the Serafer family, and as such you will have to bear great responsibilities, not only as a family man. There is a secret that we treasure and that you shouldn't trust to anyone else, not even the woman who one day will be your wife. You can only mention this to your son; your heir" the boy's face looked gloomy as they kept walking "we are part of a group… a bunch of men who want to change the world"

And then they met the other 6 men who were present during that scene at the basement.

"I would like you to meet mister Janssens, Guillot, Schneider, Reznik, Crawford and Soler. Although you already knew some of them"

"Good afternoon" the boy's voice was trembling.

"My son… these are my best friends, as I've already told you, but they are also my allies; my brothers with whom I will change the world. We'll show you…"

They all approached the boy and walked next to him as they told them about what they did in those meetings they had, but before that, they quoted:

 _God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives: who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we have to invent? Is not the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must we ourselves not become gods simply to appear worthy of it?_

— _Nietzsche,_ _The Gay Science_

"Nietzsche?"

"That's correct, boy" said one of the men "we've killed God, and not only us, but everyone around us. We have been blind for a long time; humanity has been. We are not the only creatures in this world, do you think those things you see are just your imagination?" the boys had a terrified look in his eyes "of course they aren't. We all see them, and that's because you have the gift. We all have a gift given to us by "one of them" Perhaps we are not strong enough yet. We humans are weak by nature, but inside us there is something the rest of the creatures don't have, and that's why this power was given to the seven of us"

"Seven?"

"That's right, each of us have a different gift and we got it after many generations of research, so one day we'll be able to redeem ourselves; to change history that has been stained in the name of God.,. a God that we killed long time ago, but that still exists and doesn't care about us"

"You mean that…"

"It's time to get free of those stupid rules. We now have the power and the allies we need" another man explained.

After that the scene changed again. It was a dark night on the streets of an unknown city, a couple years after that meeting with the young great grand-father, who now was running very fast. He was desperately looking for an address. He carried a back pack filled with papers and in his hand he had the number 304 written down.

That was the number of the house he broke in, without anyone seeing him. He went up the stairs, careful to not make any sound until he reached the main dormitory where his father was sleeping. He hesitated a little and with his shaking hand he took a knife from his jacked and stabbed the man on the bed.

Drops of blood flew everywhere and a scream of pain could be heard, but not for long. The cuts were precise and direct to the main veins, so the man dies almost instantly, ad right before the servants could enter the room, the boy left the room by jumping from the window, running away to not come back anymore.

It was a cruel scene; a son killing his father, and after that al scenes were as violent as that one; deaths and murders, intrigues, betrayals and more violence. The great grand-father's family had been haunted and persecuted for many years. The tortures were cruel and Susanna felt dizzy as those images reached her eyes. It was a terrible past she already knew about, but looking at it with her own eyes was very, very different.

She finally understood what was behind all that. Her ears buzzed and she felt nausea. Everything became blurry as the violent images appeared, infernal creatures, disturbing images and the worst of mankind was in front of her eyes, but right before losing consciousness she heard Sebastian's voice.

"Welcome to reality…"

 _ **Hi guys!**_

 _ **Well, I think this one was quite dense, but I love it. Also, my recommendation would be to listen "The truth" by The Calling while reading that part where Sebastian shows her those images. I actually wrote this part thinking about this song so I feel like it's a complement for this fanfic, so if you have the time, check it out.**_

 _ **Also, that fragment from Nietzche is real. Quite interesting, by the way, but I adapted it to the story, so I cut some parts.**_

 _ **Please, feel free to leave any comments or suggestions.**_


	4. Peculiar meetings

Chapter 4. Peculiar meetings.

The curtain on Susanna's bedroom were barely opened, just the necessary to light the dark room. It was past midday and she was lying in bed, inside a deep slumber caused by last night's shock. Sebastian was next to her, sitting on a chair in front of the night table and preparing some tea. He wouldn't stop looking at her, for he was trying to visualize the smallest gesture on her face that might indicate him she was about to wake up. She had been like that for hours now. She didn't feel so well after those images from last night. It had been like an awakening to her true nature and her body's immediate response was to be left unconscious, although Sebastian had played his part as well, he made her sleep for a while so she could regain strength.

When he made a gesture and moved in the bed, the butler knew she was about to wake up so he made sure the tea was still hot. After the impression and shock, it was possible that she might need something stronger than tea, so he prepared a pill as well, just in case.

Susanna slowly opened her eyes, gaining consciousness little by little and recognizing her room, then she turned to look at Sebastian, who was smiling at her very gently, as if there was nothing wrong in the in the world and all those thing he showed her last night were just part of a dark fantasy. Bu she knew better, he was only pretending and trying to convince her that things weren't so complicated and difficult.

"Please, tell that it's not only tea what you have there…" her eyes filled with tears.

"I'm afraid so, but I've got a pill that might help you a little. I wouldn't recommend it, thou"

"What time is it?"

"It's 2 o'clock in the afternoon, miss."

"Alright, then get me a glass whiskey" Sebastian was about to object, but her eyes stopped him "it's an order" and then the butler left the room and soon after that came back with the glass.

"I know you will not listen to me but I have to say it… you just woke up, you shouldn't drink alcohol with an empty stomach"

"For God's sake, it's 2 PM, not 8 AM. Besides… I really could use an explanation about what I saw yesterday" she made a pause and drank from the glass. "my family… was part of a secret society…"

"That is correct"

"And the managed to summon… that thing"

"A fallen angel"

"I thought fallen angels were demons" she was very confused, after all many thing she thought were true had just become lies.

"Not all of them became demons. There were some that remained apart, apparently they didn't consider being on the same level than us" there was a little indignation in his voice, he was remembering a not so happy memory.

"I see, but he, or her… gave them what they needed, or something. I would have thought that this is all part of a fantastic legend if I didn't know summons are quite possible… but you have to give something in exchange. And as I understood, they got some kind of power or gift.

"That's right. And such gifts will unbind their true power" Sebastian said that with a serious tone, and it was a very serious matter, indeed.

"But what are they looking for? What do they want? I understood some of those philosophic explanation but what the hell are they looking for? What do they want to achieve? It must be related to some other… realm? I mean, something outside this world, or whatever is called.

"Indeed, but I couldn't say what they are looking for, but I'm pretty sure it's related to the occultism or the undergrown world, as you call it. And that gift they talked about is something you already experienced. All those visions and images of strange things that no one else seemed to notice, were part of your potential as heir to such gift.

"That legacy you talked about some days ago…. Is it completely awaken?"

"I'm positive about it. You have to keep in mind that your life has changed forever. And let me remind you that it happened since the moment I had contact with you, although you were destined for it"

"It's like a novel book. That kind of thing just don't happen; someone would have already noticed it!"

"You, more than anyone else have to understand that there are some events, unexplainable for humanity; miracles, ghost, strange appearances and disappearances but everything has an explanation, it's just that the truth is so complicated, so old and so real that humans decide to not believe it and they buried away the vestiges of the true story, to the point it became in superstition and fantasy" Sebastian explained. His voice was deep and smooth and for the first time Susanna thought she was speaking with the demon himself

"The truth is, beings like me exist, and we have been here since the beginning of the time but you, humans, decide to ignore us because you decided to, because it was convenient for your selfishness. I think you were afraid from the start; scared to be defenseless and inferior to all the other beings, that's why you look for power. But your great great grand-father understood it very well: you are not. From all creatures you are the only ones who could be saved and you have the freedom to renounce to it, just like you did it when our contract was made. And that, young mistress, is a great power, not to mention what those seven men you saw achieved. They didn't only abandon they salvation, but the one from their whole family as well and they made an alliance with the fallen angels"

"Those same angels from the antique legends"

"The same ones"

"I…" she looked down at the bed sheets over her legs. Her mind was blank, except for the word "No". It was all she could thing about. She didn't want to do it. She never thought it would be an easy task, but facing things that exceeded that much wasn't in her plans and she was afraid.

"I know you might want to run, but you don't really have a choice" Sebastian served some tea on a cup, hoping she would drink it instead of the whiskey. She wanted to cry so badly, but she pinched herself over the pajamas to prevent it. That small pain made her put the feet on the ground.

"Who do you think I am?... yes, it's a fucking mess and I know it. It's a legacy I don't want. My soul was doomed from the start, unless I died a violent and horrible death but now you are the one who's going to have it, so let's make it worth it. Those bastards have to die and I will enjoy seeing them drowning in their agony, just like they did with my family. Someone has to do it and I'm the one with the responsibility" there was bitter in her voice and after a moment she said "I'm going to take a bath"

"The stood up from the bed and headed to the bathroom, leaving the bed undone and the pill on the night table, and after following her with the eyes, Sebastian smiled, bowed and left the room.

"Hehehe,.. I knee f I stayed with the Serafer family my reward would eventually arrive" his facer darkened and his fangs showed behind the smile.

Some minutes later, after taking a bath, Susanna made up her mind and went out of her room looking for Sebastian, who was making all arrangements for lunch.

"Sebastian, I want all the information you can get about fallen angels, related rituals and family files that might contain what we are looking for…" there was determination in her eyes and an angry glow in her eyes showed. At last, the moment Sebastian was waiting for hat arrived. The moment when her determination, motivation and nature would focus on reaching her goal and her soul would take the shape he long awaited from the beginning.

"Yes, Milady"

An hour later, Sebastian arrived with a pile of book in his arms and put them on the studio's desk, right in front of Susanna.

"For starting, here is a compilation of old rituals related to summons, angels and sacrifices. I suggest you to start with this while I look in the basement for old files. I think your forefathers kept diaries so they should be there. This house has many hidden places, so I better start looking"

"Thank you. And before going to the basement, please tell Abby to get me some coffee. I think I will be here for a while. And I don't want any interruptions, ok?"

The day passed and Susanna was still in the studio, researching and looking for clues.

"Miss¨?" the butler knocked on the door and opened it to check if she was alright-

"Yes?" she said without thinking. She was immersed in the book she was reading.

"It's almost midnight and you haven't eaten anything in the whole day" he entered the studio with a tray and something to eat.

"Almost midnight?" Goddamnit" she cursed and Sebastian laughed after hearing the comment.

"You should eat something"

"Yes, you're right" she stood up from her desk and sat on the couch, taking the sandwich Sebastian had brought "did you find something?"#

"Aside of some diaries, there are some thing you might be interested in, you should take a look at them tomorrow morning"

"Yes…" she ate the sandwich while looking thoughtful "how could you shoe me all those imaged? They looked so… real"

"Advantages of my powers and many images were courtesy of some… contacts" he eaised an eyebrow, remembering certain character with red hair who let him see a couple cinematic records a couple months before.

"Contacts?" she was intrigued.

"That's right.. But that's a story for another time. For now, you should go to sleep. You might continue with your investigation tomorrow after classes.

Some days passed by and she managed to gather some interesting information. Her knowledge about rituals and dark things had apparently awaken her senses a little more and now she could distinguish shadows from energy remains; perhaps spirits or reflexes from another dimension. Whatever it was, she felt less scared than before and super natural things weren't so terrifying, she also empathized with her butler, who had as well gained her complete trust.

Monday morning after a long weekend. For obvious reasons not many people was happy about going back to work that day at AstraZeneca's central labs; some workers looked rather happy but some other looked tired and grumpy, as if they wanted the long weekend to last longer.

"Sebastian, remind me to make sure some recreation áreas are set for workers and… perhaps some adjustments on their schedules"

"If course, miss"

Susanna and her butler walked around the halls of the labs. They had an important meeting with project leaders and a presentation for new products. Little by little she had involved on the company's business and started to destine part of the profits on research for uncommon diseases and charities, which caused stirs among the other shareholders, but a new challenge for doctors and scientists working there.

As for Sebastian, he was very entertained with her decisions and changes around the company. His experience with the human world showed him some patterns on businessmen's' behavior as well as in people with certain power. And he had also noticed different motivations and behaviors on ordinary people. Social reactions entertained him a lot and he even had caused one or two disputes during his free time during the past centuries… but that was a long time ago; emperors were extent now and his attention was taken by some other things that brought him personal gains. Nevertheless, he smiled as he remembered past misdeeds.

When he was back in the present time, he noticed he and the girl being the only ones left in the meeting room.

"Earth to Sebastian? Houston, I think we have an absent demon… what are we doing to do?!" she said from her seat

"I apologize for my behavior, miss… I was lost in my own thoughts and that is not proper for a butler"

"Is something wrong?"

"Nothing, it's just that certain changes on the company remained me of some pat experiences and I was wondering…" he has a tiny smile on his lips, but his eyes looked reproachful as he asked "why so much altruism?"

"Altruism?" he looked at him as if he had said some unknown Word "not at all, it's just a social obligation."

"Interesting, and your actions have some logic on them, according to human standards"

"Again with the superiority complex?"

"I don't pretend to upset you, but I couldn't help but think that perhaps you are doing a last attempt to redeem yourself and perhaps your soul…"

"Oh wow, and now you are a psychologist"

"Another defense mechanism! How interesting!"

"Goddam…. Fuck!" she was upset after realizing the irony in her words "just keep your comments to yourself because I find the idea of getting a dog very attractive right now…" the butler's mocking smile disappeared immediately " or perhaps two… you know? we should go to the dog refuge on our way home, what do you think?"

"I think you shouldn't make any rash decisions"

"I would never do that without a good reason. But let's go, we have other things to do"

"Very well, Milady… just remember that, even if you try to save your soul, there is nothing you can do about it" Sebastian followed Susanna with his eyes, which turned into demon eyes; that proactive attitude of doing kind acts were interesting for him knowing she was trying to leave a positive and good legacy after her.

At first, he thought it was for compensating the contract and the loss of her soul, but then he understood they were disinterested action; just because she wanted to do some good in the world and that kind of soul would be even more fun to corrupt. Leaving a dark stain in something so well intended and somehow pure gave him a lot of pleasure.

That same day, they had to take care of some other legal business with migration and they also had another appointment at 5 PM. It was just a formal interview to get the British nationality; boring paperwork she had to fill so she could legally be in charge of AstraZeneca. Later on, they would have to go and pay a visit to the company's central offices to have some presence and get familiarized with it, but before that Susanna decided to stop for some coffee in one of the places nearby a park that picked her attention when she first saw it. It was a place surrounded by green tones and a calm atmosphere around it which made you want to chill out and enjoy the peace.

Susanna was sitting in one of the benches of the Clapham Common park; a strategic point where she could see the fountain and the cafeteria where Sebastian had gone to get her cappuccino was be at her back. The place brought her memories of her home country and it had the so needed calm. She was listening music on her headphones when she saw a person standing a couple meters away. He was a tall and thin man wearing an impeccable black suit.

He looked like a serious man and he held the same expression as he looked at her. When they made eye contact she felt the impulse of taking her headphones off. His eyes had a very unusual color that mesmerized her for an instant and then the man approached.

"Can you see me?" his voice was deep and he had a thick English accent.

"Of course I can see you, you are not invincible" she said calmly, but her curiosity awoke with the comment.

"That is, indeed, strange. Normal humans cannot see us unless we allow them to" he said as he adjusted his glasses.

"Believe me, my life is way less than normal. It's a family thing you know?" he sighed and the man stood in front of her.

"My name is William T Spears and I'm a shinigami" he handed her a card.

"You mean like a grim reaper?... interesting. I'm…"

"Susanna Serafer, I know" she was surprised after hearing that, but she didn't feel insecure.

"Are you watching me?"

"If I answer that question, you will have to do the same for me" she nodded and William made a pause as he sat next to her "miss Serafer, I'm afraid you have been in our to-die-list for a while and we will have to collect your soul"

"Collect my soul?... that sounds as if you were talking about taxes and not sous. But I understand, I guess. My soul should be about to leave this world" William as surprised with her answer and the calm in her attitude "and you know what? If I have to die in this moment, I will. Although it would have been better to do it in the middle of an extraordinary thing or some kind of transcendent thing but I do not have the strength for that right now… not after what I've done and lived, so I guess I don't deserve such a thing. Nevertheless, I still have a pending issue, so I wouldn't like to die right now" the shinigami looked at her with all his attention, intrigued by her attitude towards death and something about her picked her attention "it's strange, you know? I never thought I would speak with the death himself, not that I thought it was possible, but since I was little I could feel and see many supernatural things. It's just that I decided to ignore them and now I'm completely conscious of my surroundings. Nothing seems extraordinary now, especially around those things I have to deal with, and everything is so strange that death would be a relieve"

"Tell me about those strange things you deal with" William showed a lot of interest in the talk.

"I can only say that… for some reason that didn't have to do with me at all, I ended up as the head of the family company, and every day I feel terribly disappointed after seeing the kind of people who control the world… so much that it makes me sick. I suppose you see that every day"

"Every time we collect a soul we see their past"

"Interesting… then I'm sure you know what I mean" William nodded "I know my life is full of mistakes, but at least there is something I don't regret and I'm proud of. Thanks to my company, I can support the research of different diseases. At least that is something positive, right?... and it's weird that I tell you all this. I don't even know you. I only now that you are death"

The girl remained silent as William looked at her, his eyes studying her; for the first time in many years he had second thoughts about his decision of reaping a soul, and then he saw a wrist band on Susanna was wearing. It was a plastic purple band with some letters on it, but he couldn't read them because of her hand's position, on her lap. Nevertheless she noticed it.

"Do you like it? It's a bracelet from one of the campaigns I lead. It's actually the most important for me… it supports the research for lupus, that is an…"

"Autoimmune disease. I know" William adjusted his glasses again as he kept looking at her "I've collected the soul of many people with that disease…" something changed in his eyes.

"I can only imagine…" she took of the bracelet and gave it to him "you can have this one. I've got lots of them and what matters is the meaning" there was a pause and the reaper stared at the bracelet and then he looked at the sky, with the same thoughtful expression he had since a couple minutes before. The girl sighed "it's strange that…"

Her words were interrupted when William stood up and walked away from her, adjusting his glasses again.

"Honestly, I never thought it would come to this… Farewell, Susanna Serafer"

"I thought I was going to… die" she looked at him confused,

"You will not. At least not today, or on the near future" he kept walking.

"Weren't you going to ask something?"

"You answered my question before I could formulate it. See you later, Miss Serafer"

Said William with a chivalrous gesture and used his death scythe to reach a nearby roof and disappear, leaving Susanna with many doubts that showed in her face expression until a male voice ranged on her ears.

"Is something wrong, Milady?"

"Nothing, it's just that…" she kept looking at the direction where the shinigami disappeared, still los ton her thoughts, but soon she regained consciousness "you got the cappuccino?"

"Of course, but I apologize for the long waiting, Miss… apparently the guy in the cafeteria doesn't know how to use the till" Sebastian said as he gently handed her the coffee.

"What if something had happened to me while you were away?" she drank from the cup.

"I highly doubt it, Milady. If your life was in danger, I would have immediately noticed… our contract would alert me if such thing happened" he smiled "has something happened while I was away?"

"No. Just an interesting talk with a peculiar man"

After drinking her coffee they both walked towards the car to continue with their schedule, while at the other side of the city, William T Spears made some notes on her death book.

" _Susanna Serafer, postponed death because of her utility for humanity. Her support for the research of a certain disease will lead to its cure"_

 _ **Author notes:**_

 _ **Hi, guys! Thanks for reading the fanfic, and now we are in chapter 4! This is exciting and everything will get more interesting and complicated from now on, so please look forward to it! Any comment is welcome, so please feel free to share it with me.**_

 _ **Have a ice weekend.**_


	5. The crimsom cherry

Capitulo 5 The Crimsom Cherry

That same night, Susanna went back home to rest. It was almost 11 PM and she was tired, so she only had some tea in her studio for dinner.

"Here's some green tea, brought from Osaka especially for you. Are you sure you don't want to diner?"

"No, thanks" she had a sip and remained thoughtful "Sebastian? You've never told me about how you came in contact with my family. Being a demon, I suppose you looked for someone willing to make a contract to… keep their soul… but why always the Serafer family?" the butler looked at her and smiled, trying to look kinds.

"They called me. Your great grand-father and grand-father summoned me and I offered them the same thing as you.

"Was there a special reason to remain with us?"

"There is, but I'm afraid that is… confidential and difficult to explain"

"But it has always been like this? Do you look for a reason for coming to the human world?" there was a pause and then she said to herself "I guess not even demons like to spend time in hell, surrounded by flames and…" Sebastian silently laughed when he heard her "did I say something funny?"

"No, Miss. But hell isn't how folk tales describe it and even though we are not surrounded by fire or torments, I must admit I do enjoy human world"

"And before making contracts with my family, where were you?" she was curious about his past.

"With another contractor. He was the one who gave me this name and I've kept it since then"

"Then I suppose you were rather fond of this person" the expression in Sebastian's eyes changed and showed himself lost in his thoughts, even a little vulnerable for a second. Susanna immediately knew she had touched a sensitive topic for the demon, if that's even possible.

"Let's just say that I learnt a lot about humans with that contract" he turned to see her as he became more serious "you look tired, Miss. Perhaps it is time to go to sleep" and then he smiled; a fake smile to hide his inner thoughts.

"Perhaps you're right" she finished her tea and walked towards her room, remembering the change on Sebastian's eyes. She had definitely discovered something new about him.

A couple days later, around midday, when business accounting class was about to finish…

"..and then, based on the estimated numbers we got from the other analysis, we will compare them with real results and the difference, deficit or surplus, will be your opportunity areas in the company. I recommend you to…" suddenly the door opened and Sebastian appeared, causing the teacher look frustrated.

"I'm sorry for interrupting… Mr. Ferguson… Milady, we just received some news about that investigation you asked me to do and I'm afraid such information is quite urgent…" his eyes were placed directly on her and spoke much more than his words could so Susanna immediately understood what it was all about,

"I understand… Mr. Ferguson, excuse me but I'm afraid we will have to leave the class here for today. This is a special matter that requires my immediate attention. I'm really sorry"

"I understand. We will continue tomorrow, but please, make that analysis and I expect a report for our next class" he said as he put the marker on the whiteboard and some papers on his briefcase.

"Alright. Thank you very much. Sebastian, could you accompany him to his car while I make preparations?"

"Understood. And please, read this documents I've got for you" he handed her a folder with some papers, photos and maps. Some minutes later, Sebastian came back and closed the door behind him, approaching the girl sitting in her desk chair.

"Ivan Reznik"

"Mr. Reznik's name is Igor Rodich these days, for security reasons, that's why it took me longer to find him, I apologize"

"Apparently he has been rather busy on past weeks and he traffics with influences in different ports and customs… that sounds like smuggling"

"That's what it looks like. And for what I've gathered he is a assiduous client of the "distinguished" Crimson Cherries club"

"Oh, is that a place you frequent?" she said sarcastically, enjoying Sebastian's reaction.

"I really hope you don't think of me that way, Milady…" he acted as if he was offended, making her laugh.

"Of course not, you are just like an angel!... and well, this place is a… seedy night club, I suppose"

"It is a brothel"

"Wonderful! Make preparations, Sebastian… we are going on a social visit tonight"

"As you wish, Milady"

Since 6 PM Sebastian and and Susanna followed Ivan Reznik around the city, starting with a visit to the London's customs office, then his personal office and after that another stop on a fancy and famous restaurant where he would met some associates. They were very careful when following him in the car, but he didn't have many bodyguards, just two and his driver.

Ivan Reznik was a robust man, with little blond hair in his head and chubby face. The way his blue eyes looked at people was repulsive and they lingered around any girl who passed nearby. He smoked cigars most of the time and wore a blue, expensive and bad taste suit.

The fat man entered the restaurant, along with his associates that were waiting for him at the entrance. Meanwhile Sebastian parked the car where he couldn't see seem, but they had enough visibility of his movements.

"Even without knowing about his true self, you can tell that he is a very despicable person. That bastard"

"Good, that way you won't feel remorse after murdering him" the girl's blood froze after his comment and stared at the gun in her lap. She knew that destroying her family's enemies and her plans were the same thing, and both things included killing those people but she avoided calling it murder, and that was exactly what he butler's comment implied.

Would she have second thoughts before pulling the trigger?... Sebastian was there in case she couldn't, but the smallest hesitation could mean regret, or that she wasn't ready for all that. Susanna's face seemed worried and shocked. He was distracted with her own thoughts and the butler carefully studied her gestures. But when she noticed his eyes on her, she said.

"I wouldn't know unless I do it…" she remained silent for a while, looking at the restaurant even though she knew Reznik would be there at least two hours… two long hours she would have to spend with Sebastian, which presence was rather uncomfortable. Perhaps a little chat would ease the mood "you are rather good at stalking people. Have you done this before?"

"Of course, what kind of Butler would I be if I weren't capable of such things?" he had a wide smile on his face.

"You say it as if it was the most normal thing in the world…" suddenly her voice tone changed, as if a swirl of feelings were fighting inside her to get out "tell me something, Sebastian… my soul will change with this thing I'm about to do. It will never be the same; it will deform. Do you mind it? I mean. Is that the way you want it?... Little by little, take away all the goodness and purity of my soul?!" she yelled at him and then there was silence and tension around them, again. She didn't expect an answer and limited only to look through the window, waiting for Reznik to get out of the restaurant, until Sebastian spoke.

"Pure, innocent, ruthless or as the purest evil; I find your soul exquisite in every form, because it's yours. The essence of what might become and your only presence are what make you attractive for me, Milady" Sebastian sounded as serious as ever, a mix between sincerity and seduction worthy of a demon. His eyes glowing crimson and feline eyes staring at Susanna, who didn't look back at him, perhaps for pride or fear. She wouldn't find out.

And so, between silence and random comments about the plan, two hours passed. The objective was to get information from Ivan Reznik. It was fundamental that they got an address or details about the other 5 men: Soler, Schneider, Crawford, Janssens and Guillot, so they could haunt them one by one and finish with all that mess. Aside of that, Sebastian warned her about the nature of the conflict, which might bring along the presence of strange creatures or extraordinary events, so they would have to be alert.

When the fat man went finally out, he got into his card, alongside his driver and bodyguards.

"At last, and to finish the night with glamour, a visit to the Crimsom Cherry… start the car, Sebastian.

"Understood"

The road towards the brothel lasted a couple minutes. The place didn't hide its true nature, but it was located between many alleys in the old part of London, so the girl and the butler had to follow Reznik by foot, careful of not being discovered.

The neon lights in the place could blind anyone and the shocking pink reflected in the nearby pounds would reveal anyone who approached the place.

"Milady, I'm afraid that, if we keep walking this way they might see us. I suggest trying the roofs"

"Alright, let's look for a lather and… Whaaaah!" with exceptional and calculated movements, Sebastian carried her bridal style and jumped very high towards one of the rooftops. She didn't have other option but to surround him with her arms and pray so she wouldn't fall, which the butler found very funny and after a small laugh he said,

"There is no need for such a thing. At this point, prayers are useless" as he graciously landed on a rooftop, almost kneeling to keep balance and bring the girl's face closer to his "but feel free to keep your arms around my neck" a mischievous smile appeared on his face as she grumbled under her breath, defenseless against him.

"The only thing that keeps me from putting a bullet in your chest, it that I intend to use all of them in Reznik…"

"That, and your fear of heights…"

"I would really appreciate you stop being so insolent" she held on tighter to him as he jumped around the rooftops until reaching the brothel, seemed just like a dark shadow in the dark and foggy night.

When Sebastian finally put Susanna down on the floor, she glared at him. She would have definitely push him off that roof, it wouldn't hurt him that much; after all he was a demon, right?

"Alright, we need a way in" she looked around "there's a door over there" they walked towards the door and tried to open it, but it was closer.

"Allow me" the butler took the padlock and took as small key from his pocket. After easily molding it a little, it opened the door "go ahead"

"Now, we only have to look for that bastard" the sound and vibrations of the music made it nearly impossible to listen anything else, and that could be used as an advantage when questioning Reznik.

They went down one of the stairs. There were many rooms along two of the floors and the long halls had many doors, some of them closed and others were wide open. Luckily for them, there was no one near.

"He shouldn't be too far"

"This way" Sebastian made a small signal so she would approach a black curtain separating one of the halls from a little balcony that lead to the club "if I might say, this is not an adequate place for you, Milady" he complained as soon as he saw a pair of exotic dancers performing in the poles by the dance floor, which was surrounded by tables where many men were drinking and smoking strange cigarettes, holding some girls possessively.

"Nothing of this mess is adequate for me…" she looked around, careful of not being notices and then she found her objective "there he is!" she pointed

"Yes, he is talking with that girl and… apparently they now have a deal... let's see..." he turned his head as if he was trying to listen to what they said, despite the noise of the place "yes… they will go to the second floor and… it's going to be 400 points for one hour, which includes…" he stopped talking before saying what the price "included", and just when Susanna made a gesture for him to shut up, trying to hide her blush by laughing.

"Let's wait until they come here, then you'll take care of the chauffer and the bodyguard. Reznik is mine"

"Understood" they walked through the hall and avoided being seen by hiding in one of the empty rooms

"Nice place to have a date…."

"Indeed, would you like to know what those 400 pounds included?" he casually asked.

"Tempting, but no…" she tried to appear serious but then laughed "for God's sake, Sebastian. Now it's not the tie for your jokes" She looked around "are they there yet?"

"Ivan Reznik and the girl are about to enter the room. The other two men are walking behind them, a couple meters away. Apparently they will guard the hall"

"Excelent. Get rid of them and don't make any noise"

"As you wish, but before I leave, take this" he gave her the key he had o his pocked "it might be useful"

And then he left the room and ran to the second floor, where the two guards were lighting their cigarettes. Casually walking, with an evil grin and glare he approached them. He had a couple of silver knives on his right hand which contrasted with his white gloves.

"And who the bloody hell are you? Get out of here!"

"I'm sorry, but I must fulfill my orders"

"What the hell…?" one of the men said, but he couldn't even take out his gun because one of the knives sank on his forehead and skull. The same happened with the other guy, who jumped tried to tackle Sebastian, but the butler was faster and as soon as they fell into the floor, he put them inside one of the empty rooms, retrieved the knives and cleaned them. After that, he broke the lock so they couldn't be found after a long time.

As for Susanna, she proceeded with caution and took out the gun from her belt and got ready to enter the room. She had never done something like that; perhaps a couple visits to the gotcha or videogames, but using real guns was way different. All that tension and risks were too much.

Then she used Sebastian's key and opened the room. At first she only moved the door a little, expecting someone to complain, but nothing… then she heard some whispers from a female and a male voice. Apparently they were just talking, which was a big relieve for Susanna, who wasn't in the mood to find a sex scene.

By the time door was completely open, she managed to gather all her bravery but still her hands were shaking when she pointed at the couple next to the table, inhaling some kind of drug.

"Don't even think about moving!" she hesitated a little, but it was enough to scare the prostitute, who yelled and put her hands on her face.

"What do you want, bitch? Dave! Nick!... get rid of this scum!. Do you think you can scare me with that little gun of yours, babe?" his voice was repulsive "so?... or is it that you also want to have a good time with me?" he stood up and approached her with a threatening attitude.

In a matter of instants, Susanna woke up; some kind of flash back and a hunch that made her react on a violent and effective way, as if she knew exactly what to do. In that moment, the anger moved her; it was a rage accumulated by multiple generations and that made her act, or perhaps it was the adrenaline.

"Igor Rodich… or should I say Ivan Reznik"

"Do you want me to be scared because you know my real name?"

"No, I will take care of that later on. Don't you dare to move" her voice was serious and her eyes were filled with anger "go ahead and sit next to your date"

"And what if I don't want to?"

"I can make you" her patience was finished and she shot him in one foot. It was the first time she shot against an actual persona. The adrenaline invaded her and she felt something else after seeing him hurt like that, screaming in pain as the prostitute cried hysterically "I said don't move"

"Bloody bitch!"

"Do you want another one?... hurry and sit on the chair… and you, don't you even dare to move"

"Who are you?"

"I don't see the reason to tell you who I am, but I'm willing to tell you if you answer some questions" she smiled a little… that strange feeling she had a couple moments before was a sick pleasure of seeing him in pain and the frightened look in his eyes. Susanna Serafer had awoken to something else… and Sebastian, who was observing the scene from the door was pleased. The closed the door behind him after entering the room.

"Tie them up"

"As you say" the Butler approached them and the kept pointing her gun to the fat man, this time there was no hesitation or fear, and she had all the intention to use all of her bullets to get what she wanted.

"I see you've been busy, Ivan. It's good to make good use of your time. All those contacts in customs and ports… your father would be proud" Sebastian soot next to the injured man.

"But… who are you?" he was shocked, he didn't expect someone to tell him such things.

"Who am I?... think you can guess it… tell me, where are the others?" there was silence and she looked at Sebastian, nodding with her head, a signal for him to beat him "we can help you remember. Are you related to the names Soler, Schneider, Guillot, Crawford and Janssens?"

"It cannot be!" he suddenly started to laugh "I never thought this day would come… perhaps I won't be the one finishing you or taking back that thing your predecessors took away from us, but I assure you someone else will. You don't have the slightest idea of what you are getting into, starting by the fact that Janssens-Guillot is only one person"

"And where are them?" it was true, she didn't know they were the same person, but she gathered information little by little.

"Do you think I will tell you?"

"Do you want a fast death? Speak. If you want to die slowly and painfully, you can keep quiet"

" _You don't have the slightest idea of what this is… HE will come after you and then the final linkage will be closer than ever"_ Ivan didn't speak at all, but his word sounded loud and clear inside of Susanna's head and she looked confused "now you see?... this more than you could ever control, you bloody bitch" after he said that, Sebastian grabbed him from the neck, sinking his nails into his skin, making painful little cuts

"HE… then there are other 5?… ¡the fallen angel!"

"That's… right" he barely aid "it's just a matter of combining the elements… but even if you think you will win… you are just making it easier"

"Where is Soler?! Or Schneider?" she shot him again, this time on the ribs "answer!" screams or pain filled the room.

"Schneider… the… docks…"

"Perfect. That's all I need"

" _Your signing your death sentence … and even with our powers, you won't be able to use them"_ he spoke again with telepathy _"Deus est mortuum et nos occidimus eum"_ after hearing that, all memories from her kidnapping appeared on Susanna's mind, so her eyes opened widely as they filled with tears. She took two steps away from him and shoot him in the face and head multiple times, deforming him completely. After that she turned to look at Sebastian, whose hands were stained with blood and lanced at her, very serious "we are done here…" her voice was barely heard as she left the corpse behind her. Then she looked at the terrified prostitute next to the table "I don't want any witnesses…." Without hesitation she shot her in the head to kill the poor girl.

It was like Susanna wasn't he usual self. That attitude had been suddenly unleashed and her aggressive self only found an exit with that gun and the running blood.

The scene left Sebastian speechless for an instant, not because of what she did; the change in her was radical, but before considering all that, he noticed a cold air around the room and .the girl yelled n pain as she grabbed her head, as if something was piercing her skull.

"Ah!"

"Milady! Are you alright?" the butler rushed to catch her before she fell down. She was about to pass out and let the gun fall in the floor.

"Sebastian…" and she pointed at the hotel's window "it's one of…. Those guys… "and she fell unconscious"

 _ **Author notes: well, there it is, the first action scene. I hope you liked it! I hope it wasn't too violent… because it will get worse lol. Just kidding, but it will get more interesting! Look forward to it!**_


	6. Comfort and confront

Chapter 6. Comfort and confront.

With no apparent reason, Susanna fell down but Sebastian caught her before she hit the floor, and right before she fell unconscious, she pointed at the room's window, right behind Ivan Reznik

"Milady…" he looked at the window where a young man with blond hair and wearing glasses looked at his watch impatiently. He recognized him immediately and to avoid any conflict, he picked up the gun and carried the girl outside, back to the car. His priority was Susanna and the butler wouldn't let anything else go wrong.

Moments later, the guy with glasses entered the room and picked up the cinematic records with a lawnmower.

"Ivan Reznik, born on November 15th 1965. Dead on, May the 4th of 2015. Cause of death: haemmorrhage caused by gunshot wound. Completed… hard to believe he didn't die from STD!"

The boy took a small notebook from his jacket pocket and reviewed his to-die list.

"Great! Looks like it's all for today… but I ought to inform my Supervisor that there's a demon on the loose. Darn, I hope it doesn't bring me overtime…" then he sighed and jumped through the window, not really caring too much about the demon's identity or the girl who just killed those two people.

By the next day in the morning, back at the Serafer's residence, everyone was worried about Susanna, who hadn't wake up yet. She was still in her room and Sebastian was taking care of her. He hadn't take his eyes off her for an instant. His serious and confused look was rather unusual for him

"Abby! Is she awaken yet?" a blond guy rushed down the stairs.

"No, not yet, Fer… I think we should get a doctor but…"

"What happened yesterday?" he approached Abby, who was leaning on the hall's wall nearby Susanna's bedroom.

"I couldn't sleep, so I went to the kitchen to get a glass of milk and then I heard the car parking on the entrance. A moment later, I saw Sebastian entering the house, carrying the young mistress…" her voice tone was cold and she looked straight into Fer's eyes, showing the seriousness on the matter "they both had blood stains in their clothes, although neither of them were wounded"

"Are you sure?" his stand changed and his brown eyes showed certain spark they didn't have before.

"Yes… I changed her clothes… you know she would never allow Sebastian, or any other man to do it. She is quite discreet" she tried to relax the tension with her comment and laughed a little "Sebastian told me to clean her up and put her pajamas on while he changed his clothes too. She wasn't harm…"

"But?" Fer detected that hesitation on Abby's voice.

"She had a small burn on her hand, as if she had touched live coal"

"Or gunpowder…" that same spark from before showed again "it has begun…" after a small pause he raised his voice and punched the wall, showing his anger "what the hell is that arse-hole thinking? Sebastian is always showing off, pretending to be a great butler, but he can't even properly protect her" Fer punched the wall again and suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Easy, lad Sebastian knows what he's doing and we should to trust him" Mr. Haggard calmed the younger man with his calm but firm voice "and if someday he fails to his duty I will be the first one to exchange a couple words with him"

"Thomas is right, Fer. Besides, Sebastian has remained at her side since the moment she was in her bed. He is evidently worried, even though he tries not to show it"

"That is correct… and he might need a rest. I'll go and check on them. I shall ask you to remain calmed, especially you, Fer" Thomas voice was persuasive. He knew something about the young man, something that told him to keep him calmed.

After that, Mr. Haggard walked towards Susanna's room and knocked on the door. There was no answer, so he slowly opened it. Sebastian was sitting next to the bed. The curtains were barely opened, just to let some light in and give the place a little warmth. The girl was still unconscious, or in a very deep slumber.

"She was in a lot of pain, so she is exhausted" the butler didn't take his eyes off of her while Thomas approached him "still, that is not the reason why she's still like… this…."

"After what happened yesterday I couldn't blame her for not wanting to wake up" Sebastian was surprised as he turned to see the other man, who had a serious look on his face "you should rest a little. I'll take care of her"

"There is something I need to investigate" the demon said after a pause. Apparently he had remembered something "I'll be back in one hour. Meanwhile…"

"Yes, yes… I won't leave her side. Worry not, that is exactly what my family has been doing for decades. Now, go. There is something important you have to do"

"Just one hour"

After saying that, Sebastian hurried to leave the house, but not before telling Abby to contact him in case Susana woke up.

Using his demonic speed, Sebastian ran towards the city with only one thought in his head: understand what those people haunting the Serafer family were hiding, and not only that. It was crucial to find out what kind of forces were involved. This time his master faced an entity that, having the right means, could become a huge problem.

When he arrived to Ivan Reznik's office, the building had been, coincidently, burned down. According to what he found out, it was a problem with the electric installations what caused such "accident". How convenient…

It looked like all evidence regarding Reznik's connections were lost, but Sebastian managed to enter the building, or what was left of it. There was still some smoke coming out, as well as steam everywhere. Even the temperature was high. There was rubble all around and the stairs were falling apart, so he used his abilities to climb to the 5th floor, where the main office was supposed to be.

There were some documents, but they were either burned or wet. Most of them were ashes but the demon gathered plenty of them and planned to decipher them so he carefully took the pieces as his eyes glowed in red, trying to read underneath the ashes and smeared ink. Some fragments were understandable, but some others were beyond repair, so the result was a confusing puzzle with names, places and terms in Latin, as well as the words "final linkage", which appeared rather often but the real meaning was nowhere to be found. Everything pointed towards Schneider having more information about those plans, and more important, the means they would use to contact the fallen angel again.

As soon as he gathered all the useful information, he put the papers in a safe place inside his jacket and headed back home, hoping to inform Susanna about his findings when she woke up.

Exactly one hour after leaving the mansion, Sebastian entered the room, expecting to find everything as he left it. And so it was, except for Fer and Abby, who were there as well. Susanna seemed to be asleep, but she was now laying on her side beneath the sheets. It wouldn't be long before she woke u.

"Sebastian! It took you exactly one hour…" Thomas was surprised "seems like she is about to wake up"

"Yes… she looks more relaxed than before…" the butler smiled "I believe it's time to make preparations, as I suppose she will be hungry when she awakes"

"I'll take care of that! Come with me, Fer" Abby took the young man by the arm, as he glared at Sebastian.

"Good. Thomas, could you do me a favor?..."

Some minutes later Susanna moved again, this time her gestures suggested that she would open her eyes son. After waking her up every day, Sebastian perfectly knew when she was about to do it, so he stood next to her, waiting for the right moment.

Little by little she woke up and recognized her room with her eyes. She seemed confused and then she looked at Sebastian, siding her head as if she was about to ask something, but a terrible pain invaded her and she started to remember everything. She immediately put her hands in her head and tears fell from her eyes in a lament that was mute at first but soon turned into a howl of agony.

"Calm down, Milady…" Sebastian approached her.

"How?... how could I?... no, not like that!" she sat in the bed, still holding her head and crying so loud, screaming incomprehensible words.

"Shh… it's alright, Miss…" he sat in the bed and embraced her, trying to comfort her "It's already done, you cannot change it"

"And you enjoyed it! Get away from me, you damn bastard!" the girl tried to separate from him and she punched in the chest and arms, but it was useless.

"Remember our contract… I'm only a tool for you to use and finish with them…"

"I don't regret anything, but I don't know how could I do that. That's not like me at all" she remained silent while she gathered her thoughts and dealt with the headache "and I would do it again… it's just that I don't know how…" in the end she didn't have much choice but to give up and cry while her butler comforted her. Despite his intentions being only lead by the desire of having her soul, he was the only being who would be unconditionally with her until the very end; until the day of her doom.

Besides, something on Sebastian's embrace calmed her. Just like everything that was happening, she couldn't explain it, but as he caressed her back, a huge relief invaded her, like tiny vibrations slowly taking over her and suddenly she was calm; filled with doubts, fears and insecurities, but not about to cry again. Perhaps she only needed to let it out with someone trustworthy, someone who knew what had happened.

Some days passed by and Susanna didn't want to touch the subject. The headache lasted for two days and Sebastian didn't take it as a simple coincidence, so he investigated on his own and carefully observed the girl from the shadows.

Susanna walked around the garden, thinking about those fresh memories. She felt exhausted and without energy. Listening to the phrase _"Deus est mortuus et nos occidimus eum"_ woke up something inside of her, something she didn't want to remember and that brought nausea, aside of filling her body with adrenaline like never before. She needed time to accept the inevitable; this time everything was real and there was no escape. She thought she had already assimilated her situation, but it wasn't true. In a matter of months she had gained and lost everything by her own will. The question was, how to move forward?

Meanwhile, in the shinigami realm, the Supervisor of the Reaper Dispatch Society worked in his office. He had been in front of his desk for the past couple hours, reading and consulting old reports and taking notes about them.

His expression was serious, as usual, but there was something different in him; a barely perceptible gesture that showed annoyance and aggravation. Since Ronald Knox returned from his last assignment, he asked for a complete report from another overseas branch, so he could know more about Susanna Serafer's activities. She had been in the to-die list months before coming to England.

William's suspicions were true: Miss Serafer had done a contract with a demon. That was the reason why she avoided death the first time, and despite not regretting his decision of letting her live, he found the whole situation rather ironic. Aside of that, what was really making him angrier was the fact that certain demon was the one who made the contract with her. Such demon was Sebastian Michaelis, whom inevitable will cross paths with.

As soon as he finished with his notes, he cleared his desk and headed to London, appearing almost immediately in a green garden, which had perfectly trimmed trees shaped in spirals. The flowers were about to bloom, but William didn't have time to appreciate such things, so he focused on finding certain person. After walking a couple steps, he found her and hid behind one of the many trees in there, just to watch her for a few moments. She looked downcast as she walked around the garden, trying very hard to ignore an individual nearby, until it was impossible.

"I know you are there. Is it already my time to die, William?" she looked at the sky.

"I knew there was something different in you since moment I saw you; an unusual aura, but I never imagined it was caused by a contract with a demon… Susanna Serafer" the shinigami showed up, allowing her to see him and approaching her.

"That is correct. I sold my soul thinking that it was a solution"

"I will never understand how people could be so stupid to exchange their souls for a simple desire…" he adjusted his glasses.

"We humans don't understand the true value of things until we lost them, and the soul is not an exception. It's like suddenly loosing hope" she looked at the beautiful garden and felt a lump in her throat. Meanwhile, William studied her, looking for a sign of regret or at least some reaction, but she remained silent.

"I'm not sure that you comprehend the reach of what you've done. Not to mention those two people you killed" he frowned and his irritation showed in his voice.

"Said the death himself" her serene eyes were set on him,

"Honestly… demons are vile creatures, vermins in the universe that feed on souls and whose intentions are always selfish. They trick and attract people with sweet words and promises, hiding their true intentions until they fall into darkness, where they show their true faces. A face they hide with great ability, for obvious reasons" there was a pause "you are just like a dewy-eyed girl, with absolutely no willpower"

Susanna felt something burning inside her. She had enough problems already, dealing with her own tortuous thoughts, to listen to some uppity jerk. "Who does he think he is?" she thought… yes, he was a shinigami but it didn't give him the right to judge or pretend to know her.

"Shut up!" she yelled "you think you know a lot about humans, about how we feel but it's plain to see that you don't have the slightest idea about how we really are. You are not human, so don't speak for us. Put yourself in my place for a moment! Imagine that one day your life is normal, and the next one your whole history, origins and context change without notice. That everything you believed is a lie… and all those things you never wanted to believe are true. After that, you are kidnapped, brutally beaten and humiliated, about to be raped and outraged, all because some reasons you barely understand... and death isn't an option anymore because it's not for you to decide" her eyes were filled with tears and William was so shocked he couldn't say anything, but his eyes showed how unexpected her reaction was "… and in that moment you remember that offer… that possible escape and solution"

There was a pause and she gathered strength so her voice didn't break and tears didn't interrupt her.

"I know what I did is wrong, that is an atrocity and a huge sin, but if my sacrifice can end this haunt against my family and stop…" she wouldn't reveal all she knew, so she chose her words "…things from getting worse, I'm willing to accept all the consequences. And listen carefully, I am responsible for my own choices and decisions, despite them being right or wrong. I will take the consequences, either you like it or not. I know that there are many things and lives in the way, and that is why I need to do this my way. I will take the blame and carry such burden"

William remained silent, with Susanna's words still lingering on his head. It was true, he wasn't a human being and he didn't know what kind of desperation she went through; he might have known of such things once, but that was long before turning into a shinigami. Remember or feeling again wasn't an option, his work didn't allow him that, and that's how it was supposed to be. Despite reviewing such idea, day after day, it had been almost 200 years since the true meaning of it made sense.

"I'm sorry for trouble you like that" he said, reckoning that perhaps it wasn't the best moment to confront her "it wasn't my intention" he made a little bow, with all the formality and etiquette characteristics in him, just that this time he was being sincere. Then, he started to walk away and before disappearing, he looked at the girl "I will only ask you that, while you are in charge, that scum doesn't feed on another soul… I would hate working overtime because he couldn't control himself"

"You don't have to worry about that. While our contract is valid, I won't go after other souls. This one is enough for me and the only one I wish" Sebastian appeared behind them, with a serious and defensive gesture. He had witnessed the whole scene and he wasn't happy at all.

"I wondered if we would meet again, Sebastian Michaelis. It looks like destiny crossed our paths again. I shall go now. I'll be seeing you around" and the shinigami disappeared.

"Are you alright, Milady?" he looked concerned.

"No, but that isn't new… at least the headache disappeared"

"I'm glad to hear that… do you want me to go after him?"

"No… let him be" she looked towards the direction where William disappeared "we'll see him again" Sebastian turned to look at her with displeasure and surprise. He noticed it wasn't the first time William T Spears and Susanna met and, for some reason he didn't fancy the idea..

"I've been researching into something, Miss. And… now I think I understand what happened. Would you please come with me?"

Susanna nodded and walked in front of him, heading towards the first floor's library, where Sebastian had been studying some documents and consulting many books about different subjects, from psychology to metaphysics. The place looked messy, but there was something enjoyable in that chaos. She liked the smell of old books and dust all around them. Everything seemed to have a reason to be, and the butler was the only one who knew it. She sat in one of the black leather couches, waiting for him to start explaining.

"We haven't discussed the subject yet, but it's important that you tell me exactly what happened with Ivan Reznik " she glanced at him, trying to remain calm "I noticed there were moments of silence and pause between your dialogue, and it caught my attention that your pupils dilated, your speech changed, as well as your behavior, Miss. That led me to think that there was something else I couldn't hear. Was Mr. Reznik a telepath?" the formality in his voice and rigid stance showed how serious the matter was.

"Yes. It was like those words were inside my head. He mentioned something about a final linkage and power, a special power which, despite of acquiring it, I couldn't use and then… then those words in Latin…"

"Deus est mort…"

"Shut up!" she covered her ears in a defensive way.

"I apologize" he said after seeing the girl's reaction, although his words were perfectly planned, looking to trigger something in her "I still don't know what kind of plans they have, or what are they looking for by contacting that fallen angel, but Thomas helped me get some letters from your grandfather and I have reasons to think that each one of those men have something special; a piece, we might call it, that is necessary to bring the fallen angel to this realm, and that includes you"

"You mean like a puzzle?" she stood up "then our clue is: a telepath, a linkage whose real meaning is still unknown, and a quote from Nietzsche"

"That it correct, and if we could find out what kind of ability the others have, starting with you, we might have a change to discover what they are up to or at least what is needed to bring back the fallen angel. On the other hand, that headache of yours, at first I thought it was caused by that shinigami at the Crimsom Cherry, but then I thought different. Maybe it was caused by the reaction of your ability to Reznik's. Or perhaps…" Sebastian stared at her, with his deep red eyes piercing hers, not blinking even once.

"What?" she looked confused, as if she didn't understand why her butler looked at her like that.

"Interesting" he put his hand on his chin, reviewing the facts.

"I don't understand"

"I thought you might have absorbed Reznik's abilities… but apparently you didn't"

"Something definitely happened and we need to know what… let's go to AstraZeneca's corporate offices. I have a hunch that we might find something on my grandfather's files"

They left immediately. By then, it was already quite normal for the employees to see Susanna and Sebastian walking around the building. She liked to be around them, making presence and showing them that she cared for the company; she wasn't willing to let the family legacy go to waste.

When they arrived to the grandfather's office, the girl looked around, picking a spot to start looking and then ordered Sebastian to start looking, although he seemed a little distracted.

They spent the afternoon looking for information, among the old and dusty files. At that point, anything would be useful, so they put some photographs, letters and notes inside a box. Before leaving the place, Sebastian stopped in front of one of the paintings hanging in the wall.

"If you like it so much, why don't you take it?" Susanna smiled "you seem very interested in it every time we come here, so…"

"Miss, I couldn't… a simple butler like me" he said politely, keeping the butler façade, but deep down she took him by surprise.

"Consider it as a token of my gratitude" she winked and left the office, but her voice was heard from outside "and don't make me say it is an order" Sebastian got tensed up. Many of Susanna's reactions and behaviors were still unexpected for him. But despite that, he sighed and took the painting with a little smile on his face "by de way… are you wearing perfume?... I thought that… someone like you wouldn't need that" she asked as they walked through the halls.

"It's only natural for the butler of the Serafer family to use one of the finest essences. What kind of butler would I be if I couldn't do something simple as that?" he said proudly as the elevator doors closed.

"Well, it's nice. I like it."

The day was sunny at the Shinigami realm and the dispatch association saw its employees walking around with their death scythe in hand, heading to do their jobs. Some other shinigamis were quickly typing to finish their reports and no one seemed to have a break, except for a blonde guy wearing fashionable spectacles, who casually walked through the halls. He was carrying a folder with complete report from his last job and he headed to his boss' office, enthusiastically greeting all the females on his way.

"Hey, Angelique! You look so pretty today! Are we still up for dinner on Friday?"

"Oh, Ronald! You never change. Of course, will you pick me up at 7?"

"You got it. I'll be finished with my work by that time" he said proudly.

"Then I'll see you on Friday" the girl said, walking on the opposite direction than him "by the way, Mr. Spears asked for you 10 minutes ago. You should hurry"

"Blimey! Thanks, and see you on Friday" Ronald's expression changed and a special glow in his eyes showed as he rushed towards the Supervisor's office.

When he arrived, he knocked on the door, waiting for his boss to let him in. He had never liked to visit William's office because every time he as there, he would end up with overtime, which he hated more than anything. He closed the door behind him and approached the desk where his boss was waiting for him; he had just arrived from his brief visit to London.

"Good afternoon, Sir! How are you? You look busy as al…" the boy said in a happy tone before being interrupted by his boss, whose voice showed his impatience towards his subordinate.

"Ronald Knox… I trust that you brought the complete report. This time without errors"

"Of course! Here it is" he left the folder on the desk "like I said, it's the same demon from a couple years ago"

"A couple years ago?" William looked surprised "is it possible that you didn't mention him on last decade's reports?

"EH? No! Not at all" he said worried and trying not to mess up "I mean, is the same demon who caused problems well… around the 1800's… wow! Time flies!" William glared at him for an instant, looking for something that would show Ronald was lying or hiding something. Then he took the report and started to read it.

"We need to be careful, Mr. Knox. I want to be informed if you happen to meet that vermin during your next missions.

"Understood… can I go now?"

"Yes, yes, go ahead" he made a gesture with his hands, pointing the door.

Ronald headed to the door, taking a last look at the office before leaving. It was the same boring place, with the same sober and net decoration from last century, so he thought his boss desperately needed a hobby or at least a little fun. He was about to leave the office when suddenly a figure with red hair and flamboyant clothing and shoes appeared, yelling with shrill voice,

"Will! Oh, Will, dear! I've got what you asked for" he entered with something that looked like a library cart, holding a large pile of cinematic records.

"Sutcliff sempai!"

"Hello, Ronald. You aren't making my dear Will angry again, are you?"

"Oh no, not at all. I just came to deliver my report and…"

"Mr. Knox" said the Supervisor with a persuasive voice "I thought you have some work to do and… Grell Sutcliff… did you bring all those cinematic records?"

"Of course, Will. Each and every one written in the list you gave me" he approached the dark haired shinigami, trying to hug him, but failing in the end because William stood up to check the books "Oh, Will! I love it when you play hard to get"

"Grell Sutcliff… please, behave yourself and continue with your duties. I still have a lot of work to do" he threatened the red haired with his eyes before sitting down again and continue working.

"But… alright, Will. I'll see you later" and before leaving, he winked and sent him a kiss with his hand.

Then he walked towards his cubicle, but met Ronald in the way. He was leaning in one of the walls, with arms crossed and looking thoughtful.

"So, he sent you for some cinematic records?"

"I believe that's not of your business"

"Perhaps not, but I believe what is the boss' reason for his research. When I came back from my last job, he asked me for a detailed report about it and I'm sure it has something to do with that raven demon,

"Sebas-chan!" Grell's face showed a big smile and he jumped as high as he could, but as soon as he recovered the composure, approached the blond guy "tell me all you know about it"

Meanwhile, inside of his office, William started to examine the cinematic records brought by the red headed shinigami. There was something else aside of his usually serious gesture. Through all his years working as a reaper he learned to detect any sign of problems or possible alteration on the soul balance, and this time he knew something big was approaching. Besides, Susanna Serafer would be involved in all that mess and, that's what gave him an uneasy feeling for many reasons, such as the last talk he had with her and the history of her last name.

 _ **Author's notes:**_

 _ **Hi guys!**_

 _ **This was chapter 6 and everything is starting to make sense now, right? Or at least I hope I was able to catch your attention. There will be plenty of shinigami scenes in this fanfic, so look forward to it. Also… could you imagine Sebastian using perfume? Well I did, for practical purposes, mostly and you will see it as the story goes on ; ) so now the question is… what perfume do you think he is using? I do have something in mind for him, but I will tell you next week, so I'll wait for your opinions ok?**_

 _ **Take care, and happy vacations, weekend or whatever!**_


	7. Attack

Chapter 7. Attack

It was Thursday and the night was falling in London. The weather was getting cold, but what really froze the blood inside Susanna's veins was the emergency call she received earlier. Something had happened at the central offices of AstraZeneca and, along with Sebastian, she headed there. He drove as fast as he could. Apparently it was a huge problem, but deep down, she was glad it was the central office and not the central labs, where all resources and researches were located.

As soon as he got the call, she took a jacked and told the butler that they had to go there. It was retaliation for Reznick, without a doubt. The road towards the offices took around forty minutes but Sebastian managed to make it in twenty. A few blocks away they found some ambulances, police cars and fire trucks closing the streets, keeping outside people away and fighting against the flames in the tall building.

Susana received the all earlier that afternoon. They said someone had activated a bob inside the central building, which caused a big explosion and the death of many people. As the minutes passed, the fire was controlled but everything was far from over.

With great ability, Sebastian parked the car in one of the nearby alleys and with a consternated expression he spoke to the girl.

"I'm afraid that… if we get nearby one of those police officers or detectives, they won't leave you alone for the rest of the night, with all those interrogatories and paperwork" he was standing next to the door, opening it for the girl to come out.

"We better go the other way around. It is possible that, whoever caused this is still nearby" she looked around. The street had many buildings and around the alley, curious eyes were gathering to see what happened.

"There is a tall building next to the offices. We might get a better view from there…may I?" he made a gesture with his hand, as if he was asking for permission ad she looked at him, wondering what he meant "last time we went to a rooftop, your reaction wasn't quite…"

"Oh!" she remembered the Cherry Blossom "and if I recall correctly, you were enjoying yourself way too much…"

"I can't deny it" he smiled.

"Alright. It isn't like we have much choice" she frowned and let Sebastian carry he as she put her arms around his neck, just like last time, as he jumped along the tall buildings, gracefully "and don't get any funny ideas"

"I'm afraid it's too late for that" he whispered softly, with a seductive voice, but when he heard her complain and felt a couple kicks on his ribs, he continued "I'm only joking"

When they were on the rooftop Susanna approached the edge with precaution. She tried to find something abnormal, but everything was rather chaotic. There were firefighters and paramedics all over the place, running outside the building. The smell of smoke and the sound of the ambulances, despite it being distant, was hypnotic. Even with the cold night weather, the fire made it warmer. Apparently there were many injured and she didn't even want to think about the deceased.

Inside all that mess, nothing seemed out of place. It was a strange sensation that invaded Susanna, and she couldn't help but to feel guilty. With a fire like that, all the clues regarding the attack would be missing and all the people down there looked shocked; none of them seemed suspicious.

As for Sebastian, he looked at the whole scene with his demon eyes. His serious expression showed that something didn't fit quite well, but he didn't say anything about it.

"As we thought, this is against me. They know I'm hunting them"

"That is correct" he said coldly, like he wasn't paying attention and then she looked at him with curiosity.

"Do you see anything in particular?" an attitude like that in him could only mean that he saw something he was displeased with.

"No, but there is something unusual in the weather"

"What do you mean?"

"It was getting cold and now there is warm air all around. I would dare to say that this is rather convenient for the flames to not extinguish. Besides, when we left the house, it was about to start raining. Now there is no humidity"

"Do you think it has something to do with the bomb?"

"I'm not sure yet… I would like to take a closer look" he looked at her, asking for permission and she nodded, putting her hands inside the jacked pickets, trying to keep them still regardless the nerves that invaded her, and almost immediately Sebastian jumped from the roof, looking for God knows what.

Susanna remained motionless in front of the burning building. It was an incredible image, like taken out from a movie, not from the real life. She thought about the many changed she had gone through and something in the fire mesmerized her, losing her in all those thoughts, but behind the black smoke and flying ashes she could see some shadows moving, like small strings dancing around and next to them humanoid silhouettes that made her pale. Nevertheless, before getting more shocked, she sensed someone moving behind her.

It was a presence she couldn't describe so well. She thought the most adequate word was "cold", but as crazy as it might be, the man behind her wasn't cold at all. At least she didn't consider him as such.

"Working?" she asked with a serious but casual tone, trying to fade the discomfort inside her head.

"Supervising" he drily answered.

"Of course… and you decided to stop by and say hello, William?"

"I wanted to apologize" his voice was firm and didn't match the message behind his words, but his personality made him act like that; his character compelled him to present himself as an emotionless individual, but at the same time he was the perfect English gentleman, capable of reckoning his mistakes and representing integrity "the last time we spoke…"

"You were a total jerk?" William's shoulders tensed up after hearing her calling him that.

"I didn't… consider the factors that… motivated your acts, to put it in words. So… "

"And no you consider them?" she looked at him and approached.

"Let's say that, now I have seen the bigger picture" he adjusted his glasses compulsively. He didn't want to enter in details.

"Apologize accepted" she laughed for herself "I didn't think you were the kind of person who apologized"

"It was the right thing to do" there was silence between them for an instant and he relaxed because it seemed like she wouldn't speak of it again.

"And what are you supervising?"

"Certain shinigami…" he sounded annoyed "I've got the feeling he won't do his job properly, considering… the situation"

"The explosion you mean?" she couldn't imagine what kind of mistakes a shinigami might do.

"Not exactly" he glanced at her for and then turned to see the burning building.

"I suppose you will have a lot of work after this" she thought about those dead people again, not know exactly how many of they were.

"I certainly hope that is not the case. Honestly… I would hate to work overtime because something turned out wrong" he said as his eyes looked a specific point in the building, inquisitive.

"Sebastian is investigating the cause of the explosion and he doesn't…"

"As crazy as it might sound, it is not that vermin I'm worried about"

"So, it is those shadows in the distance?" she pointed at a broken window and for a second the William's expression showed amazement after hearing what she just said. It wasn't common, or more specifically, it was very rare that a human being could see a cinematic record when someone died. And still, he decided to explain what they were.

"That, Susanna… is a cinematic record" he summoned his death scythe and held it tight, explaining with a voice that showed some pride and enthusiasm "it contains all memories from a person's life; everything they lived is documented in there. And we, shinigamis take care or colleting and reaping them. Let's say, cutting the movie in the exact moment of the death. It is very important to review those memories so we can determine if that person lives or dies"

"But if you appear, is because someone has to die, isn't it?"

"That is, indeed correct. But there are special cases where a person can contribute something for humanity, and that is the only exception we make"

"That is a great responsibility!" for the first time she thought his job couldn't be that cool.

"Yes, it is. On top of that, there is the fact that demons want to feed on those souls, so our duty is to avoid that at all costs. We have to collect every soul, otherwise the numbers wouldn't match and the balance would be lost, not to mention the immense amount of overtime we would need to work and the paperwork to be filled"

"The way you say it sounds… too casual to be about souls"

"At this point, you should already know that things are way too different from common belief. Sometimes people make it sound way too… romantic" he said that last thing with a disgusted tone.

"Touché…" she smiled and looked at William's death scythe "and what is that?"

"It is called death scythe. It's a shinigami weapon and our most important tool. We cut the cinematic records with this. It is capable of cutting through anything."

"But William… those are gardening prunes…."

"Oh, I assure you, these are way more lethal than that" his voice sounded indignant but before Susanna could say something else, a scream was heard in the distance. It was a voice that didn't belong to any of the injured, nor paramedics or firefighters

And from the building, right in the same place where the yell was heard, a black shadow jumped towards the rooftop where Susanna and William were talking. It was Sebastian, who approached as fast as he could, looking for his mistress and perhaps to run away from the individual who just yelled with a high pitch voice as well.

"Sebas-chan!" the voice was heard again and a red silhouette appeared from behind the flames.

"Honestly… this is what I was afraid of…" William's voice sounded irritated as he looked at the scene from behind Susanna, making sure he wasn't seen.

"Sebas-chan! Where have you been? I've missed you all these years!"

"I'm afraid the feeling is not mutual… Grell Sutcliff" Sebastian's tone was serious as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Do you two know each other?" she looked confused. She had never seen that guy before, although it was evident that he knew her butler, and judging by the shinigami attitude, she didn't even want to imagine under what circumstances; a chill ran through her back.

"If we know each other, you ask?" the redhead said "We've been through a lot together! Isn't it, Sebby? All those nights of wild passion…" Grell embraced himself.

"Sorry, but our memories differ way too much" the demon seemed annoyed as his eyebrows moved in disapproval.

"Wait, if you are here it means that…" Grell's voice became serious and his eyes were fixed in Susanna, who looked at him with curiosity "you are the new contractor… how interesting" his eyes piercing hers, looking for something "I wonder if…" he extended his hand to touch her face as he walked towards the girl, who took as step back, and just before Sebastian could get between them, William's death scythe struck Grell in the head "AHH!"

While the redhead shinigami was suffering with the wound, the butler and the girl turned to look at William. She was surprised for his reactions and the demon saw him with certain displeasure.

"Didn't you have work to do?... Grell Sutcliff!" he approached them with steady steps and threatening attitude "and instead of that, you are lollygagging, running after this…" he looked at Sebastian "hell spectrum… such a disgrace for the shiniamis"

"Will!" he looked at his boss with his eyes filled with illusion, ignoring half of the things he just said "you were checking on me because you were jealous, darling?"

"Please, don't say such nonsense. You have work to do" he looked at the burning building.

"Talking about work, the hell spectrum has finished with his" Sebastian said with irony "Miss, I believe it's time to go with the police inspector"

"Let's go, then" she walked to the other side of the rooftop, followed by her Butler "I guess I'll see you around"

"Good night" William said formally, with a small nod of his head and then glared at Sebastian, who took her in his arms to jump from the rooftop. His eyes lingered there for a while until he turned to see the other shinigami, who stood next to him "perhaps I wasn't clear enough when I said you have some work to do" he took his death scythe, pointing at him.

"Don't worry, I'm done. You should be proud of me"

"In that case, you should be writing the report. I need it I my desk in two hours"

"Oh, Will, you are so harsh!... just how I like it" Grell hugged William, who walked away, ready to left for the shinigami realm "something big is happening, isn't it?" the supervisor stopped as soon as he heard him "all those deaths, Sebastian and the Serafer girl can't be coincidence"

"We shall limit ourselves to do our job" as soon as the dark haired shinigami said that, he jumped off the building and disappeared, followed by Grell, who took a last glance at the building and the demon walking next to the girl"

It was a long night for Susanna. Since the moment she tried to approach the police officers in charge of the explosion, a group of journalist and reporters went after her to ask questions about the company and the bomb. When she was named head of AstraZeneca, she received many requests for interviews. A change on a pharmaceutical company isn't much of a big deal, but the changes and restructurings on the inside, along with the charitable activities and investigations, did. Especially after a bomb attack. A great headline for the next day's newspapers!

Thanks to Sebastian she had always managed to avoid meddlesome eyes, which had tried to get inside the house or ambush her outside the office multiple times, but in that moment, it would be way too difficult to avoid them, so the butler did his best escorting her towards the police barricade.

That small walk of barely 30 meters felt like an eternity for the girl. She didn't know what to say, so she remained silent as Sebastian walked with her with a protective attitude, like a bodyguard, repeating "no comments" every fifteen seconds. Nevertheless, something in his behavior showed that he was enjoying the situation. A couple minutes of fame couldn't hurt anyone.

The investigations followed its normal course, painfully slow and it wasn't until 4 AM that Susanna could return home, but not before making at least ten declarations, speaking with many lawyers, insurance companies and arranging funerals for the people who died in the attack. Aside of that, looking at the count of damages and deaths because of the bomb caused her a huge impression. So far, collateral damages weren't part of her thoughts.

When she got home, the only thing she wanted to do was sleep and the butler's attempts to make her eat anything or at least have a little supper were in vain.

"I'm exhausted. Please cancel tomorrow's lessons and…"

"I've already done that, Miss. A few hours ago I got in contact with the teachers to cancel your lessons for two day" his voice was formal "would you like me to wake you up at midday so you can attend the funerals?"

"Yes, please…but how,,,?"

"What kind of Butler would I be if I couldn't suit Milady's needs? Besides… it's a pleasure" he kindly smiled as he followed up the stairs her with his eyes.

The next day was almost as exhausting as the day before. Susana was never fond of funerals and she couldn't help but feeling guilty for all those dead people. Sadness showed in her face. There was something in the atmosphere of those events that made her uncomfortable, aside of bringing memories of sorrow and pain. The ceremony ended around 5 PM, and as fast as she could she asked Mr. Haggard to take her back home. Sebastian remained very quiet during the whole time. He hadn't informed her yet about his findings, and truth to be told, he wasn't so sure the information could be useful or not.

He glanced at her from time to time, trying to read her expressions and body language, but she was absent, moving like a puppet; mechanically and wearing sadness in her eyes.

As soon as they got home, Susanna locked herself in the studio, reviewing those papers they took from her grandfather's office. Lucky for them, they had visited the office before it was destroyed, she was sure there was a clue in those photos and notes. The question was, what were they trying to destroy?

She poured some whiskey in a glass from the bottle inside her desk as she read the papers again and again, not finding anything useful, but before she could get frustrated, someone knocked on the door.

"May I come in, Miss?"

"Go ahead, Sebastian"

"I've just been informed that one of the fire's survivors is stable. It's Mr. Lampard, who was I charge of the camera vigilance at the moment of the attack, and apparently he was the one who alerted security about suspicious behavior"

"Very well, then we will visit him tomorrow morning" she didn't look at him as saying that, but he still nodded, approaching the desk where she was standing, next to the chair. There was silence between them for an instant and Sebastian looked at the whiskey bottle and the serious expression in Susanna's face and when she finally realized she as being observed, she said "did you find something in the building?"

"As I said yesterday, there was something strange in the atmosphere. I'm truly sorry, but I could not gather tangible proof, only some kind of traces" he put his hand on his chin, thinking "like traces of magic, but that isn't what caused the explosion"

"According to the reports, it was a special kind of nitroglycerine, which raised suspicion but…" her attitude changed immediately "what did you say? A trace of magic?"

"That is correct, but it vanished a couple blocks away and I couldn't follow it, but if it is what I'm thinking, it's a very strong and powerful magic" his face darkened and looked threatening.

"It's obvious those guys are behind the attack, and I'm sure that if we find the source of that nitroglycerine, we will find them. Sebastian…"

"Understood" he walked towards the door, with a serious attitude and before he left, she stopped him.

"What do you think it is? I mean that magic"

"It's been centuries since I didn't face something like that, capable of changing the weather, at least for a while"

"Enough to stop it raining and to make it harder to extinguish the fire… there was something in the building!"

"Most likely"

"I'm sure it has something to do with these things we got…" she pointed at the papers and photos "hurry up and check the nitroglycerine thing. I must find something here" she sat and took a magnifying glass to check every part of the documents.

Those people knew she was hunting them, and undoubtedly, they knew where to find her. Attacking AstraZeneca wasn't only to destroy information; it was a message. They knew about her and for some reason, this time she wasn't the target of their wrath.

 _ **Author's notes:**_

 _ **Hello everyone!**_

 _ **Thanks for reading this chapter, filled with fire, bombs and raising many questions… I hope you liked it!**_

 _ **And about last week's question, well I can imagine Sebastian using blue jeans by Versace. I don't know why. I think it isn't too serious, but it smells sooooo nice, not too sweet and manly…**_

 _ **Anyhow, reviews, critics and comments are welcome. Thanks for the follows and favorites!**_

 _ **Esmereilda**_ _ **: yes, I think demons are quite difficult to write or at least understand. They can be honest about the contract or to the contractor (if it is an order), but at the same time they can omit information, which I believe is some kind of a lie. I find a little difficult to write Sebastian, I guess I need reasons to justify his actions.**_

 _ **Guest: Yes, there will be romance, and complications… and a lot of tease! Lol**_

 _ **Take care and have a great weekend!**_


	8. Posttraumatic stress disorder

Chapter 8 . Posttraumatic stress disorder.

The next morning, around eight Sebastian, Thomas and Susanna left for the London Bridge Hospital, where Edward Lampard was recovering. It took them around twenty minutes by car and meanwhile, the girl took the chance to check the newspapers and online news.

"The day of the explosion, while we tried to avoid those reporters… you enjoyed it, didn't you?" she asked Sebastian as she read on her computer.

"I beg your pardon, Milady?" apparently she took him by surprise.

"Sebastian, we both know you love to show off way too much, and what better opportunity than a Hollywood style moment?" her eyes showed reproach, but deep down she enjoyed his reactions.

"How can you say that, Miss?" his offended attitude was almost convincing.

"Oh really? Then, could you explain this?" she handed him the computer so he could see an online newspaper that talked about the bomb incident and that had a direct link to the butler's photograph, trying to escort her towards the police barricades "apparently you've become very popular" she eagerly awaited for his reaction when he read the comments below the photo. One of the reporters took some of pictures of him, and at least in one of them Sebastian looked like he was posing like a professional model.

Of course, the article's comments were written by enthusiastic female readers, who flattered him and his looks as he _"diligently fulfilled his duty"_.

Suddenly Sebastian's face became innocent and quiet and a tiny smiled showed as he turned to see Susanna.

"My, my, it looks like female readers are quite energetic these days…"

"Oh, come on! Just accept that you love being the center of attention, particularly if it's because of your looks" she tried to annoy him but suddenly the butler got closer to her, completely changing his expression: the innocent gesture became seductive and his eyes closed just a little as he whispered on the girl's ear.

"Milady Susanna, in that case, I'm just …" his voice was soft and vibrated next to the sensitive skin in her ear, making her blush immediately "…one hell of a handsome butler" she didn't know how to react so she looked at her lap as she made a gesture with her hand, asking Sebastian for her computer "oh, I'm sorry. Here…" and he smiled as if nothing had happened, leaving the girl even more confused than before.

There weren't many people around the hospital and as soon as they were out of the car, Susanna was conscious of the magnificent view of the Thames River. The fresh air reminded her that it was real; she was in London and that desire for visiting the famous bridge and take a tour around the city in one of those two-floors busses was replaced by nostalgia as she stood there, in front of the beautiful landscape, wishing the circumstances were different.

"Milady?" Sebastian called for her, remembering her that they were there for a reason.

"Let's go" her voice was emotionless and they entered the hospital.

Mr. Lampard was on the fifth floor, on the burned unit. They used the elevator and found the room number 520, right in the middle of the hall. There, they met the doctor who gave them multiple indications before entering the place, among them to make their visit as short as possible because they could interfere on the healing process, and most important, cause him pain.

Not wasting any more time, Susanna and Sebastian entered the room. It was a cold place, filled with the distinctive sound of the heart monitor.

"Edward Lampard?" she tried to make her voice as soft and sweet as much she could "I'm Susanna Serafer, how are you?"

"Miss Serafer…" the man was clearly surprised by her visit.

"I'm glad you are getting better" she made a great effort to smile; the image with the burned man, surrounded by monitors and machines to keep him alive, caused her a big impression "I…" she tried to keep her voice calm "wanted to thank you for what you did the other day. If you hadn't alerted the security team, many more people would have died" the man smiled and his eyes were closing. He was very tired, but then Sebastian cleared his throat, trying to catch the girl's attention and reminding her why they were there "I also wanted to ask what you saw? What kind of person is the one you saw entering the building?"

There was silence. The man was under a lot of pain, but he made a gesture indicating that he had just remembered something.

"Anything would be useful, Mr. Lampard" Sebastian finally spoke.

"He… had a fancy look… with aquiline nose and dark eyes… very dark… almost black. There was something quite disturbing in him" he made a pause and his breath turned heavy "he had a black suitcase, like carrying medicine or pill samples, so he didn't look suspicious…"

"Had you seen him before?"

"A couple days earlier… lurking around the entrance…" there was another silence "that day… the explosion… he went up to the ninth floor…"

"The office!" she said and Sebastian looked at her with complicity "that was the target"

"In there, he entered the broom closet… and left without the suitcase… then he used his cellphone… went to the highest floor and…." Suddenly Mr. Lampard's eyes widened. It was like he had just seen a ghost and he couldn't say anything anymore"

The heart monitor sounded faster with every passing moment and Edward Lampard grabbed the bed sheets tighter as he tried to say something, but he was choking and a high pitch sounded around the cold room.

"Sebastian, go get the doctor!" she yelled, but in a matter of seconds, doctors and nurses entered the place, as the butler guided her towards the door.

"I believe that's what they call code blue… let me see if I can get his medical file" he walked towards the nurse central, where he would definitely use his charms to get some information. As for Susanna, she sat in one of the chairs in the hall, waiting for the doctors to come out. She was shocked for what she had just seen and heard. Mr. Lampard had seen something which made him react like that.

That men who entered AstraZeneca's building had everything planned, knew exactly how much it would take him to get to the ninth floor and go to the rooftop, and once there he just disappeared without leaving any trace. His objective must have been to destroy whatever was hidden inside his grandfather's office… as well as leaving a message.

Those names in the vision Sebastian showed here were tattooed in her mind. The first one, Ivan Reznik was dead. Now she only had to go after Janssens-Guillot, Schneider, Crawford and Soler; his great great grandfather's partners were the target in her vengeance, and they would be hunted one by one. That was the contract she made with the demon… but now the situation had changed, because the counterattack started the moment the building exploded.

"Good morning" said a male voice and Susanna was surprised, she didn't expect anyone to speak to her while she was lost in her own thoughts, and she was even more astonished when she saw who it was.

"William! What are you doing here?... oh, silly question… this is a hospital, people die here quite often"

"That's right, and apparently our meetings are becoming considerably more often"

"It looks like I'm leaving a corpse trail where I walk" she sounded bitter.

There was silence; Susanna remembered the number of people who died in the explosion, the guilty feelings, Mr. Lampard's face and Ivan Reznik's final words. She clenched her fist and tensed her right arm to restrain herself. She wanted to yell out loud without a specific reason.

Meanwhile, William looked at her closely. The changes on Susanna's face reflected her thoughts and how they affected her. The shinigami wondered if she was feeling remorse or if her thirst for vengeance was stronger than anything else. Just some days ago he saw her family's cinematic records, as well as the people related to those killings; he was curious after that talk in the garden with the girl, where she made him see some things he thought long forgotten.

Since that moment, he knew that the consequences after Susanna's decision would keep them meeting constantly. And not only that, there was something bigger about to start and even the higher ups were aware of it and assigned him to investigate, which didn't make him so happy at first, because it could mean lots of overtime, not to mention the forces involved in the situation. But in that moment, he couldn't stop asking himself: if a high rank shinigami with great experience such as him, wasn't fond of the idea because of all the implications, under what kind of pressure would Susanna be?

She hadn't just sold her soul; what she was getting herself into, risked many other things and facing it alone... or more exactly inside de claws of a demon, could be more than any human could bear.

The expression on William's face softened as he saw the girl in the chair. It seemed like she was smaller than she really was and for a second, the shinigami wanted to do something about it, although he didn't know what; perhaps comfort her, but he just sat there in a chair next to her in silence for a while.

He was about to say something, he even turned to look at her but the words didn't come out. She noticed it and gave him a silent reply: a smile. The most sincere smile he had seen in the whole morning around the hospital like a ray of light in all that darkness, and perish the thought, it looked so good on her.

"Miss?" the demon had returned and stood next to Susanna, interrupting the moment..

"Sebastian, I think it's time to go" she stood up I front of William.

"Are you sure?" the demon was uncertain.

"William is here, we know what that means, and I really doubt Mr. Lampard's corpse could say anything else" she looked at the shinigami, who adjusted his glasses and nodded, wearing his usual expression again.

"We might not have luck with his corpse, but his cinematic record…" there was malice on Sebastian's voice and William immediately took his death scythe and pointed at the demon.

"Don't even think about it, damn prat" he was angry because of his provocation.

"We are inside a hospital and I don't want any scenes" she said coldly "Sebastian, let's go" she sounded harsh "it's an order… see you later, William" the green eyed man relaxed a little and nodded.

"Understood" he was apparently humble, but before leaving he gave William one last mocking smile and then kept walking.

When they arrived home, Sebastian took care of the lunch but not before informing Susanna about the medical reports he checked. There wasn't anything too important I them, but one thing: toxicology exams showed remains of glycerin on the victim's blood, which confirmed its usage on the explosives.

During the afternoon, Sebastian went back to the ruins of AstraZeneca's offices to get a sample of the explosive.

When he arrived the place, he carefully crossed the barricade tapes, making sure he wasn't seen and then he entered the building, or what was left of it. It smelled of smoke and burned plastic, but there was something else in the air. Soon he remembered that everything had started in the ninth floor, so he walked towards the elevator, which of course, didn't work so he opened the door with his hands and jumped directly to the ninth floor, where a different smell came from.

The ninth floor was completely damaged, except for some construction metal bars and stones that remained there. With a few jumps, he managed to reach the spot here that smell was stronger.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" he too off his white glove on the right hand and passed his finger over the wall, where a dark stain caused by the explosion was. He collected ashes and smelled them, to see what it was "glycerin, nitric acid and… aluminum" then he looked around and noticed some broken pipes "how creative!" the demon smiled and his pink eyes glowed as he jumped back to the elevator hole and then returned to the Serafer residence.

As for Susanna, she had a bitter feeling. She felt guilty for all the deaths in the office, but she knew she couldn't stop. She was conscious about the consequences of her vengeance and the contract with Sebastian, but seeing it all with her own eyes wasn't the same as just consider it. She remember the heat of the flames and the smell of smoke from that night, and every time she closed her eyes, she saw Mr. Lampard in the hospital. The horrible and cruel image lingered in her mind, as well as the memories from the funeral and the crying families, comforting each other.

She felt her heart rushing, accelerating along with her breathing. She entwined her hands, like a prayer, hoping it would bring her some peace, but she abandoned such intentions when she reminded that her soul wasn't hers anymore; praying was useless and hope for finding comfort in spiritual matters faded away, little by little. She felt alone and her body was cold, but despite that, sweat fell from her forehead.

She wanted to scream, hit the walls with whatever she had in front, but it wouldn't change anything. Tranquility and peace; being free of external regrets and horrible memories was now an unreachable vision for her. She knew it well. Rage and sorrow tears ran down her cheeks as she pinched her leg to make them stop, but it didn't work. Then she ran towards the living room, hoping she wouldn't meet Abby or Fer. She opened the bar and took a whiskey bottle and a glass. The she went to the kitchen for some ice and locked herself in her room for the rest of the afternoon. Alcohol and music making her company, trying to evade herself from reality, at least for a moment.

The next day, after 1 PM lessons were over, but Susanna remained in the studio to analyze again her grandfather's documents. This time she tried to read the first letters of each page and make different combinations with them, trying to find the hidden information. As for Sebastian, he was preparing ice tea with lemon so she could refresh a little, very entertained as he made a beautiful figures with the lemons in the glass. He hadn't had time to tell her about his findings the day before; when he arrived home, the girl was locked up in her room and didn't answer when he knocked on the door. Then she woke up early to start her lessons, so he would have to find a good moment, when she was alone so he could give his report.

Right behind Susanna, in the top of a ladder was Fer, installing some new blinds. He was very good for any kind of things that involved screws, nails, drills and cables, so installing them was a piece of cake. He noticed the serious look on the girl's face.

"You look rather focused, Miss. You have the same expression your grandfather had every time he planned something… or solved a word puzzle"

"Is that so?... I guess it's a family matter, then" she laughed a little, giving him a friendly look "but right now I just feel like I'm looking for something that doesn't exist" she looked at the papers again, scratching her head and sighing, which made Sebastian smile.

"If you allow me to say it, there are times when we focus ourselves way too much in one task, looking for solutions, that we don't realize the answer is quite simple"

"You know what? That's an excellent idea" she said enthusiastically as she took the letters and documents, arranging them I chronological order, but this time instead of reading them like that, she read them backwards, which allowed her to arrange some letters, forming words.

She immediately took a pen and copied each one of the letters, until they made a sentence.

"Let's see…" she was very focused. The phrase was in Latin and she started to read aloud _Congregati septem, adducebunt illum. Dum Deus sit mortus, tantum gladius et diabolus praebalebunt adversus eum. Deus est mortuus…_ " her voice cracked, but tried as hard as she could to finish the sentence, ignoring the warning glances of Sebastian, who became alert as soon as he heard the Latin " _et n-nos occidimus... e-eum…_ " after she said it, a loud scream was Heard in the room, alarming the butler and Fer, who immediately jumped down the ladder to approach her.

Susanna's breathing was agitated and tears ran down her cheeks, while the agony screams sounded in the young man's ears and the butler's. Suddenly she fell down to the floor, in fetal position, covering her head with her arms, as if she was hiding from something.

"Milady!" Sebastian approached her, very concerned and kneeled, taking her arm to examine her. He wanted to make sure she wasn't hurt and wanted to see the expression in her face, but as soon as he touched her, she yelled even more.

"Don't touch me, you fucking bastard!" she kicked him in the shin as hard as she could, and the only thing he could do was babbling. Obviously, Susanna didn't recognized where she was or who was next to her.

Fer moved the desk so she would have more space and read the papers she was holding. He didn't have much success with the meaning, but read the phrase aloud to see her reaction. Meanwhile, Sebastian made another attempt to calm her, this time touching her shoulder as gently as he could, as if she was about to get broken, but she moved his hand violently.

"Don't touch me, get away!" she cried.

"Deus est mortuus…" the blond read and a shriek left Susanna's mouth, which worried Sebastian even more. For the first time in a long time he didn't know how to react, but Fer's voice took him out of his shock "Don't touch her! I know what's going on…" he touched the butler's shoulder, with a serious gesture and a dark voice "the same thing used to happen to me… and in this state, we can only calmer her with a tranquilizer.

"What are you saying?"

"I'll explain later. We need to get a tranquilizer, take care of her and don't even try to touch her. That would make it worse and she could get violent" Fer ran towards the first floor, his steps sounding heavily down the stairs and his voice calling Abby to get a syringe.

Sebastian was used to keep things under his control, so he wasn't happy at all with the whole situation and decided to not wait for the Diazepam and solve tings by himself.

"I'm really sorry for this, Milady, but you don't leave me another option. I wouldn't want you to suffer more than necessary" he took off the immaculate glove from his left hand, showing the contract mark and then he put it on the girl's forehead. For an instant she cried aloud but then she fell unconscious "it will be better this way" Susanna's reaction after hearing the phrase wasn't unusual for Sebastian, but it was different this time, perhaps because she was the one who said it.

One thing was for sure: Susanna would react violently if she heard that phrase and it was impossible to predict her behavior. On the other hand, the scene he just witnessed, besides taking him off guard, had worried him. In the past he didn't mind seeing his masters suffer. On the contrary, he always had a sadistic pleasure of seeing them writhing in pain or suffering internally, which he didn't have with her and that was exactly what disturbed the demon, who picked her up from the floor, carrying her in arms towards the study's door, where Fer had just arrived, running with Abby. Both of them very pale and concerned.

"Sebastian! What…?" Fer opened his eyes and got scared after seeing the unconscious girl.

"I'm afraid the mistress passed out… I would suggest to take her to her room as soon as possible and… use a smaller dose of that drug" his voice was serious and neither Fer nor Abby contradicted him

As gently as he could, Sebastian put her in the bed and took the syringe Abby had prepared, after Fer filled it with 8mg of Diazepam. Then he cleaned Susanna's arm with alcohol and injected the tranquilizer.

"I think this will be enough. She will sleep for a couple ours and wake up more relaxed" the butler remained serious.

"What happened?" at last Abby dared to ask, and the butler looked at Fer, waiting for an answer, but before he could say something, he pointed at the room' door.

"We betted discuss this in another place" they left the room and the demon guided them to one of the guests rooms "very well, Fer. What happened?"

"Well…" he thoughts for an instant, like organizing his ideas and then started to explain "what triggered that… crisis, was that phrase she read"

"Deus est…"

"Yes, that one" the young man said.

"I had already noticed something like that, but…" the butler had a face expression as if he was remembering something.

"And you didn't do anything about it?!" for the first time since they knew each other, Fer raised his voice in front of Sebastian.

"Fer, please…"

"No, Abby… Miss Serafer has a terrible posttraumatic stress disorder, and it isn't something to take lightly. Why didn't you do something about it?" he approached Sebastian with a threatening attitude, taking him by the shirt neck "what the hell is wrong with you? Don't you care about her wellbeing?" he released the fabric and was about to punch Sebastian in the face, but in an instant, he dodged his fist and used a chokehold movement to throw him at the floor. Abby screamed to stop them and took the butler's arm so he wouldn't hurt Fer any further; the last thing they needed was a fight.

"Don't say such thing, please" Sebastian was calmed, as if that fast movement cost him the same effort as breathing.

"What is going on here?" a deep voice came from the room's door.

"Mr. Haggard!" Abby was relieved to see him. Perhaps he could keep them from fighting.

"Sebastian?" his voice was persuasive.

"I am very sorry, Ferdinand" he made a pause "since the moment I became Miss Serafer's butler, she is my highest priority" his voice was solemn "with that said, I would like you to explain more about this posttraumatic stress disorder"

Fer looked at the demon for an instant and then sat on the bed. He couldn't explain here he got so much strength to make him fall on the floor, but at least he knew Sebastian was telling the truth. Since Susanna had arrived, the only thing he had done was take care of her.

"I don't know what happened so she would react like that, but it should have been a terrible and difficult experience, which caused a trauma. And no, anything that reminds her of that, could cause that… frenzy we just saw.

"I see…" Sebastian seemed contemplative. Being the demon he was, he lacked the knowledge of many modern psychological theories and he couldn't help but think that human beings were fascinating but very fragile.

"But Fer, how do you know that?" Abby sat next to him and glanced at him with curiosity.

"Because I…" he looked at the floor, clenching his fists "the same thing used to happen to me some years ago, until I got medical attention. Otherwise, I don't know what might have happened or what I might have done. It is as if you didn't have control over your actions or yourself, and the truth is that… to reach that point, something awful and traumatic mist have happened"

"Oh, Fer…" the girl touched his shoulder, trying to comfort him and everyone else remained silent "I wonder what happened to Miss Susanna"

Sebastian was still thoughtful when he noticed Thomas Haggard's inquisitive stare; looking at him suspecting he might know something.

"In that case, I should make some research about it and be ready in case something like this happens again" the butler remained serious as he said it and many ideas crossed his mind, as well as plenty of memories from his past.

"She needs a professional" Fer glared at him, and the demon finally got out from his thoughts, to focus on the lad, who was waiting for an answer from him.

"I can't imagine how you might feel about it, but let me remind you that, as her butler I'm 100% dedicated to her, as well as completely devoted to Susanna Serafer's whole existence"

"That is good to know, Sebastian. We trust you" Mr. Haggard smiled, relaxing the atmosphere in the room.

"You are right. I'm very sorry, Sebastian… but I think she should get medical attention"

"You only acted in order to protect our mistress, Fer. It completely understandable and I'm relieved to know that you would act accordingly if something happened. I'll make preparations for that" Sebastian's voice was warm and took away the tense air in the room "now, let's all return to our activities, I'll take care of Miss Serafer" he smiled at them, waiting for appositive answer.

"Yes what the Lady needs now is our full support, comprehension and care. I'll make those cookies she likes so much so she can eat them when she wakes up" said Abby cheerfully and smiling and then she left the room. The other men followed her after a couple seconds.

Sebastian went back to the studio, where Susana had the attack. He was so curious about what she had found on the grandfather's letters, as well as for investigating the meaning behind the girl's problem. Most likely, it would happen again and, as her butler he had to be prepared for everything.

"Let's see… this is in Latin… _Congregati septem, adducebunt illum. Dum Deus sit mortus, tantum gladius et diabolus praebalebunt adversus eum_. It means: together, the seven will bring it back. While God is dead, only the blade and the devil could win against him. God is dead and we have killed him… my, my… always speaking in code, Richard" the demon smiled, looking at the grandfather's portrait hanging in the wall, remembering his old habit of saying everything as most complicated as he could. Without a doubt, Sebastian's masters have been mysterious and complex, each one of them surrounded by secrets.

He memorized the phrase written in the paper and had a hung about its meaning, nevertheless, he wasn't sure at all. It would be better to wait for Susanna to wake up so they could analyze it.

Before leaving the studio, Sebastian put everything in order, along with the desk that had been moved when that little incident occurred and then he walked thoughtful along the hall, stopping right in front of the girl's room. A mischievous and devilish smile appeared on his face, no doubt about his not so well intended idea.

He entered the room in perfect silence, with all the dexterity his demon nature allowed him. He looked at the girl, who was still sleeping in her bed. She had moved just a little since he had carried her there, just a couple hours before, and that calmed him but apparently the Diazepam was still making effect.

He slowly approached the bed and took his jacket off, putting it in one of the chairs in front of the mirror and stood still next to the girl, looking for some kind of distress or pain showing in her face, but she looked very calmed. He stared at her a little longer; seeing her sleeping, vulnerable and ignorant of his presence caused him as much pleasure as seeing the tranquility in her face.

Some minutes later he walked towards the widow, looking for something unusual or an intruder in the garden, but there was nothing out of place. Everything was quiet and the flowers in the garden were started to bloom; his demon eyes allowed him to see them doing it, gracefully. It would be a matter of some days until the garden was filled with beautiful flowers, so Sebastian thought that it would be a good idea if Susanna took her lessons there, enjoying the good weather.

He thought that it but then he heard a small moan and the girl moving in the bed. It was a small sigh at first but then it became louder, so he approached her, confused about what to do and a mischievous smile appeared again on his face.

He sat in the bed next to her, leaning on the headboard, then he put a pillow on his legs and softly took the girl's head, laying it in the pillow. That seemed to calm her for a few minutes, but she started to moan in distress again, her face showed anguish so Sebastian took off his glove, careful not to wake her up or making any harsh movement and then took off a hair lock that covered Susana's face.

Every movement he made was perfectly calculated and for an instant he allowed himself to feel the softness of the girl's hair. It had been weeks since he wanted to do it, but it wasn't necessary to hold back in that instant, and suddenly he noticed some tears falling in her cheeks, so with a superficial touch of his fingers, he took it away and continued stroking her hair to keep her calm.

Sebastian's face was thoughtful. He considered many things at the same time, among them what would happen with the contract and what kind of risks were they facing. He also thought about Susanna's soul and how much it had changed in the last months, making her more irresistible, not to mentions her unpredictable behavior that didn't fail on catching his attention on different ways… he only had to postpone it a little longer and lead the girl exactly where he wanted.

Several minutes passed and Sebastian was still observing her, entertained with the tiny changes in her expression, until she started to wake up, and that was when he stopped caressing her hair and put her hand on Susanna's shoulder.

"Se… Sesbatian?" she managed to say "what… happened"

"Shh… do not worry, Milady. Try not to move" he got closer to her "you should rest, I'll take care of you" it looked like Susanna was trying very hard not to close her eyes but in the end she gave up and adjusted her head in the pillow, resting her right arm above it and Sebastian's leg.

His black bangs hanging on Sebastian's forehead as he looked at Susanna sleeping, feeling her hand's warmth on his leg and then another smile appeared in his face.

Meanwhile, observing the whole scene from the garden, silent and hidden, was a black haired shinigami. Curious about the demon's behavior and worried about Susanna… more than he dared to reckon.

 _ **Author's notes:**_

 _ **Hi there!**_

 _ **Thanks for reading and following this fanfiction, this week it reached the 250 visitors since it was published! We'll have to celebrate somehow. Any ideas?**_

 _ **princess-snow510**_ _ **: thank you so much! I really appreciate it! And yes, I will continue with it, I'll update every week, on Thursdays or Fridays. The story will get more intense and mysterious, so please look forward to it.**_

 _ **Have a great weekend!**_


	9. Party night

Chapter 9. Party night.

Some hours later, Susanna woke up and the first thing she noticed was Sebastian not being by her side. She was still under the influence of the tranquilizer, so she managed to go downstairs, to the kitchen by grabbing the walls and the stairs' handrail. In there, Abby was waiting for her with a place full of cookies.

"Miss Susanna! It's great to see you awake. How are you feeling?

"I feel…weird, lost and confused… what happened?" she sat in one of the chairs next to the kitchen counter

"Well…" Abby was reluctant to answer the question "it looks like you had a really bad panic attack. Fer and Sebastian had to give you a tranquilizer"

"Wow, that bad? I don't remember anything, just that I was in the studio and… then I was in my room, but I remember hearing something scary" she felt a little ashamed and her eyes showed anguish when they looked at the maid.

"I didn't see it, but I heard your screams and I worried a lot" she remember what Fer said and his distrust attitude towards Sebastian, so she tried to change the subject "aren't you hungry, Milady? You didn't eat anything today, so I figured you might want some cookies. I baked these ones you like so much"

"Thank you" Susana widely smiled; she was indeed, hungry and some cookies with milk were just what she needed. As she ate, Abby was relieved to see her normal-self back and then she made a comment that took the other girl by surprise.

"I know it's had to figure out what's inside Sebastian's mind but… he was very worried" she explained, thinking that perhaps the butler's attitude, always formal and immutable, may be misunderstood, as it happened with Fer. And she didn't want the same thing to happen with Susanna "he might seem serious and sometimes even cold, but he was clearly affected by what happened and he was beside you the whole day, making sure nothing else happened to you"

"He… really?" for an instant, she was moved; the idea and concept she was regarding her butler was that one of his true demon nature and the fact that he worried about her made her happy… but the idea of him being worried only for his dinner lingered.

"Yes" a huge smile appeared on the other girl's face "he just went out to the garden a few minutes ago"

Like he always did, Sebastian went out to the garden during the afternoons, right after the sun set, to make sure everything was in order with the security system and cameras. He also looked for suspicious individuals or anyone who could compromise the house's security.

The inspection took him around half an hour and when he was done, he walked back to the house but he stopped next to the pond in the back of the house and smiled to himself, with playful eyes looking at the bushed.

"I know you've been watching us. Perhaps she's not aware of it all the time, but your presence is not unobserved for me, Mr. Spears"

"I'm sorry for the inconvenience, although I didn't have the slightest intention of speaking to a blithering creature like you…" he started to say with a monotonous voice but Sebastian interrupted him.

"What was you intention, then? If I may say, during the time we've met, I've never feed on a soul that didn't have a contract with me. Or perhaps is my Lady Susanna you are watching?" the shinigami adjusted his glasses as soon as he heard the demon's words. It was true, the girl intrigued him and a situation such as that was rather refreshing after many years of repetitious and hard work. He didn't meet such peculiar individuals on daily basis and anything could be expected from those who made contracts with demons. Nevertheless, that wasn't the only reason he watched them.

"If I recall correctly, last time we met, your contract with Ciel Phantomhive caused numerous deaths, which means more work for us. Hence I am obligated to do some research on the matter; see if this time will be the same"

"Of course. I couldn't imagine the Supervisor of the Reaper Dispatch Society watching a human for reasons that are not part of his work" Sebastian's tone was sarcastic, but he seemed as polite as always. As for William, he remained calm and expressionless.

"Honestly, demon… you make thing sound more complicated than they are, just for your convenience" he turned around and walked away "farewell" and before leaving the house he was sure the demon said something like " _am I?"_

Sebastian continued walking towards the house, looking at his watch and hurrying to start with dinner preparations.

The next day, the butler entered Susanna's room wearing a big grin on his face. He was about to wake her up and give her some good news; he spent the night before researching on chemistry books, looking for information about the nitroglycerine samples he got. And when he found out more about it, it was easier for him to track down Kraig Schneider.

He approached the bed after entering the room. The girl was still sleeping and with a slow movement he touched her shoulder and whispered.

"It's time to wake up, Miss"

"No… just 10 more minutes" she turned around, facing the other side of the bed.

"It's such a shame you don't want to wake up… I have new information regarding Mr. Schneider's whereabouts…" his expression showed some disappointment, knowing exactly her reaction.

"What are you saying?" she sat on the bed "what did you find out?"

"Apparently, one of his business partners, Alphonse Turner is a great friend of the Minister of State for Trade and Investment.

"What? You mean a Minister is involved?... wow, I thought those things only happened in my country.

"You would be surprised if you saw how many things are the same around the world" he smiled and watched Susanna as she stood up and chose her outfit.

"We should investigate them; that could give us another clue about where Schneider might be"

"Indeed. Tonight there will be a party for the anniversary of the UKTI; the Trade and Investment Office, and the Minister will have a fancy celebration with important businessmen.

"Great! We should infiltrate and…" she entered the closet to put on the bathrobe and then entered the bathroom, saying "at what time is this party?"

"Tonight, starting at 7… I'll prepare the bath" he approached the girl and made sure the water temperature in the shower was ideal "so you still have plenty of time"

"Good. We could get in from the roof, or we could pretend we…"

"That won't be necessary" she looked at him with curiosity, siding her head "as one of the leaders of AstraZeeca, you have a personal invitation to such events"

"Oh, right… I forgot about it" she felt a little ashamed; that kind of things weren't on her mind most of the time.

"We should get you a proper attire for the evening. Last time we were shopping, we only got some suits and clothes for the office. I'll let Thomas know that we are going out and after breakfast we shall go to the mall" she nodded and started to undo the bathrobe's knot, but before taking it off she looked at the butler, who was still standing next to the shower, fixing the towels and discreetly looking at her.

"Do you mind?" she looked at him and then at the door.

"I'm sorry, I thought you might need some help…" Susanna raised a brow in disapproval "maybe the Diazepam's effects were still…" the girl glared at him "I'll wait for you in the dining room" he had a flirtatious smile when he left the bathroom.

And so it was, after breakfast they left for the mall, to look for an elegant night dress. Shopping wasn't one of Susanna's favorite activities, but that changed since Sebastian came to her life; the butler always made sure the experience was entertaining for her. He always argued with the store employees about the fabric's quality, colors and waistline.

She wasn't sure if he made that on purpose, but she had fun looking at him annoyed and complaining with the store managers, losing his patience and considering the famous brands as epitomes of bath taste. After that, he would always talk with Susanna, commenting something like "this is why I prefer your clothes being tailor-made. The designer's ideas and clothes are terrible nowadays". Aside of that, he was always aware of the girl's needs, to the point she started to think he might be reading her mind. If she was thirsty, Sebastian would approach with a bottle of water; if she was hungry, the next stop would be a restaurant and if she was tired, a chair would appear right behind her, along with Sebastian ready to offer her ice cream or chocolates and a comment that would make her laugh.

With a butler such as that, shopping was after all, an enjoyable experience and of course… the fact that every time she tried on a new dress, Sebastian's intense gaze traveled around her figure, softly caressing her with the eyes, didn't have anything to do with it… no…

When they finally found something she liked, and elegant enough for the party, they went back to the house, right before lunch time and two hours before the stylist arrived.

"Milady, I've made an appointment with a professional stylist to take care of you makeup and hair. In the meantime, I'll make some final arrangements to your dress" said the butler before opening the door for the young woman who would take care of Susanna's looks.

When the makeup and hair were doe, Susanna waited patiently for Sebastian to come back with her dress. She was sitting in a chair in front of the mirror, looking at herself, very happy about her new looks. She didn't wear much makeup, and this was a nice change. A little while after that, the demon knocked on the door and entered, handing her the dress.

"I hope you like the improvements I made, but if you find something you don't like, don't hesitate on telling me, we are still on time to fix it"

"Thank you, Sebastian. I'm going to put it on right now" she smiled, pleased with his excellent job. Nothing escaped him, not even the smallest detail

"Of course. Let me know if you need any help" he put the cloth in the bed and before leaving the room he looked at her "I'm sorry I didn't personally take care of your hair and makeup, but if I may say it, you look dazzling"

"Tha… thank you…" that caught her off guard, but the butler left the room before she could say anything else.

Susan put on the dress, anxious to see the arrangements Sebastian had done. She loved it since the moment she saw it at the store and she couldn't wait to see how it looked on her.

It was a beautiful admiral blue dress, with one of the shoulders uncovered and that let see the right leg as she walked, although if she recalled correctly, the opening on the lag was a Little more discreet when she tried it at the store. It was long, adequate for the night and there were some shiny stones on the right side. Sebastian had managed to adjust it to her body, even without taking measurements, so now it fitted perfectly, making her figure look more appealing. Nevertheless, there was a small detail: the zipper. It was impossible to close it without help.

"How convenient…" she sighed and made a pause before calling the demon "Sebastian, I know you have something to do with this zipper!"

A couple seconds later, the butler entered the room, now dressed according to the occasion; he was completely in black, with a tailor-made suit, a silk and slim necktie and the jacket closed y one lone button. He didn't have a vest, but he still looked very elegant.

"Do you need some help with the zipper, Milady?" he approached her with steady steps, but she saw him moving in slow motion as she admired his attire, which looked great on him. The black color contrasted with his red eyes and his pale skin. He looked more handsome than usual and he stood right behind her and with a delicate movement he pulled the zipper up, as one of his fingers traced Susanna's back, barely touching her.

When he finished, he stood up in front of her, looking straight in the eyes and pulled her hair for an instant; just the necessary to surround her neck with a stole that matched the dress' color and then he softly said.

"We don't want anyone to see the mark of our contract" he wasn't so close to her but she could still feel his breath touching her ski as he spoke.

"Of course…" was the only thing she managed to say.

"Do you like the dress?" he kindly smiled.

"It's truly beautiful" she looked at the mirror once again, quite pleased with what she saw.

"As expected, it looks great on you" as he took a pair of leather gloves out of his pocket and put them on to hide the mark on his hand "let's review the plan

"When we arrive, you enter the party with me. We have to make sure there aren't any undesirable individuals"

"Yes, but worry not. If your life as in danger, I would know it immediately. It's part of the contract. After that, I'll sneak out to the parking lot and get the keys from the valet parking. Then I'll look for Mr. Turner's and the Minister's cars"

"That's right. The GPS should have all the information about the places they visit. Then, I want you to check those places and look for something suspicious"

"Understood, Milady. Shall we go?" he walked right behind her, heading to the garage "and by the way, I packed some of your casual clothes in case something happens. They are in the trunk"

Sebastian drove the luxurious car to the party. It was held on a three floor building, an exclusive place in London where many events were held. This time is would be the anniversary of the UKTI. There were plenty of cars at the entrance, waiting for the valet parking to pick up the keys and park them and inside of them, politicians, businessmen and English entrepreneurs.

The butler got off the car and opened the door for Susanna, who took his hand and then his arm to head towards the event. Many inquisitive eyes were on her, some of them recognizing the girl as the new head of AstraZeneca and some other just curious about her.

"I'll walk around for a little. Sebastian, please get me a whiskey in the rocks, and while you are at it, check if there's someone suspicious.

"Yes, Milady" he walked towards the bar, examining everyone in the place. They seemed to be very occupied socializing or doing lobby activities. As soon as he had the glass in his hands, he returned with her "here…I didn't find anyone suspicious, just a couple of men interested in you"

"Oh, well then I should start socializing with them" as she widely smiled.

"I would recommend you to keep a low profile. We want your presence to be noticed, but not to raise any suspicion"

"OK…" she took a sip from her glass, looking around her "looks like this is going to be a boring party"

"Just like any other of these type of events. You should get used to it"

"I don't have much choice" she sighed and they talked for a while, until most of the guest arrived, including some Ministers of the government "it's time, Sebastian. Leave the car in here, in case they notice something odd is happening"

"Understood. Shall I see you here once I'm done?"

"I'll be waiting for you here" she made a gesture for Sebastian to give her the valet parking ticked and smiled "good luck"

"Thank you, Miss"

And the she followed him with her eyes as he disappeared among the crowd and the exit. Then she decided to take another walk around the place and greet some of the people she knew from the office meetings and business partners.

After a while, Susanna approached the bar, ready to spend the rest of the evening getting drunk, avoiding boredom from the shallow party. Perhaps she would walk around the place from time to time so people still knew she was still there, but she would eventually got back for a refill on her glass, just like she was doing I that very moment.

She leaned on the counter and looked around, and a small group of people picked her attention. They were next to the window, about 10 meters away from her. They were four girls talking and flirting with a guy that didn't seem older than thirty. She had seen him before, but didn't remember where. The young man was wearing an elegant black suit, with a vest and matching necktie. All according to the occasion, although the tie knot was little loose. Susanna continued looking at them, as discreetly as she could, and she noticed he had part of his blond hair dyed black. He wore modern and fashion glasses, and behind them a pair of expressive shinigami eyes made him look more interesting. Now she knew, he was the same reaper who took Ivan Reznik's soul and his presence could only mean one thing: someone would die in the party.

Suddenly, the lad noticed Susanna staring at him and he excused himself with the group of girls, approaching the blue dressed woman who tried so hard to avoid visual contact.

"Hey, I know you" he said with a smile on his face, taking one of the glasses of champagne from the bar.

"Any business with Ivan Reznik?"

"That guy! So, you know who I am?" his grin was bigger and he seemed excited.

"You are a shinigami" Susanna whispered and with precaution, she didn't know the guy's intentions.

"I'm Ronald Knox" he extended his hand to shake hers "and you are Susana Serafer, right?"

"That's right…" she took his hand and felt some kind of fear after realizing he knew who she was.

"Don't worry, I'm not here for you. Actually, I still have about half an hour left before I collect the soul I came for, but I wanted to take this opportunity to enjoy the party" he drank a sip from his glass "it's not every day that you get to go to one of these events, you know?"

"You know what? I'm so relieved to hear that… I'm not ready to leave this world just yet. I still have some pending issues" she giggled.

"So I've heard… but don't worry, your name is not on the to-die list. At least not for the next two weeks" he said cheerfully, but she showed a worried expression "sorry, I don't mean to scare you. Look, I'll tell you a secret" he got a little closer to her "to be honest with you, your name was taken out from the list a couple weeks ago, by the Supervisor of the Reaper Dispatch Society himself, so you don't have nothing to worry about… well, at least don't worry about dying any time soon. The chief's decisions are the law" Ronald winked with his right eye and then Susann remembered that first talk she had with a shinigami.

"William T. Spears?"

"That's right, but don't repeat his name" he left the empty glass son the counter "they say that, if you repeat his name three times, he appears right behind you, and I don't want to get a bollocking or work overtime"

"I can imagine it's not really easy to have him as boss" she relaxed at last; it looked like this shinigami wasn't anything like William or Grell "besides, looks like you are having a good time here" Susanna looked at the group of girls who Ronald was speaking to a while ago, whispering as they looked at them talking.

"I really can't complain. They didn't have anyone else to send; the other candidate wasn't willing to abandon his task of following…" he made a pause "someone, for anything in the world. And despite the complaining of my boss, they ended up sending me here. Although, I honestly thought this party would be much different" he looked around.

"Same here… if it continues like this, you will have to collect more souls from people who died from boredom" she commented sarcastically.

"That's a good one!" he laughed and took another glass of champagne "hey, why don't you come with me?"

"Do you want to take my soul? Or do you want me to go with you and reap that poor person's one?" she joked as she drank another sip of her whiskey,

"No, no! I wouldn't dare to take someone who's not on the to-die list. Do you have any idea of how much paperwork and overtime I would have to do if I did something like that?" he said as if it was something casual "I have another three souls to collect in two hours" he looked at his watch "well, almost three, and it's in an electronic music concert, so what do you say? Do you want to tag along?"

"Really?" Ronald nodded and smiled, anxious for her answer "alright, sounds like a plan! We could use my car"

"Wicked!... then I'll see you in the lobby in…."he looked at his watch "fifteen minutes"

"You got it! I'll see you there" and he walked away after she said that. He went to some stairs in the back of the room and disappeared.

Exactly fifteen minutes after, Ronald walked down the party venue's main stairs, with one of his hands inside of the pocket and a big smile on his face.

"Ready when you are, miss"

They left the party and when they were inside the car, Susanna looked at her purse, where her cellphone was, doubtful about contacting Sebastian and letting him know she would go to the concert, but in the end she didn't. She had been longing to have fun for a long time; breaking the rules and party all night like in the old times, and this was a perfect opportunity for it, even if it was at the expense of her butler; nothing he couldn't manage. And then, right before turning the car on, she raised the volume of the stereo.

"Timber by Ke$ha! That's a great song!"

"To start getting tuned up"

"And to make things even better, I've got a little something! he took out a tequila bottle out of his jacket.

"I believe we will get along very well, Ronald" she had a huge smile on her face and drove towards the site of the concert, following his instructions.

When they arrived to the concert, they parked the car on the first available spot they found. The parking lot was filled with cars and there were tents in the distance, like a camp. Apparently, the concert would last more than one day. As soon as they got off the car, the music roared in their ears, but the volume wasn't high enough because they were still far away.

"I need a place to change my clothes" she opened the trunk, grabbing the clothes Sebastian had packed for her.

"Oh… how about there?" he pointed at a dark spot whit many bushes.

"Perfect. Just let me know if someone comes near" she immediately thought that it would have been a better idea to change at the party, but even this was part of the adventure of fleeing the party with a total stranger. It had been a long time since she did that kind of stuff; the type of crazy things whose consequences weren't too transcendent, and she couldn't care less about them.

Lucky for her, she didn't have much trouble pulling down the zipper. It looked like the hard part was to put the dress on, rather than taking it off. How convenient…

After changing clothes and putting the dress in the trunk they walked towards the concert. This time she didn't wear a stole or a scarf to cover the mark on her neck. Good thing it could pass as a tattoo.

"Is that the demon's mark?" Ronald asked, very intrigued to see it. It was the first time he saw one of them.

"It sound even worse if you say it like that… but yes it's the seal.

"Wow! And you chose where to put it?" the girl nodded, looking at his enthusiastic expression "it looks like one of those tattoos that glow in the dark. And with that design, you could even say it's goth"

"I know, right?!... let's just hope no one knows about occult stuff, or I will have to make u some excuse…"

With each step, aside of feeling the alcohol working on them, the music sounded harder. At the entrance, they had to bribe the guard so they could enter without a ticket, but once inside, the crow's energy could be felt, even in the skin. The stage was decorated with elaborated fantasy ornaments,

"We should get rid of this" Ronald drank from the tequila bottle, which didn't have much left "do you want the last of it?"

"Sure" she grabbed the bottle and drank until it was over "damn!... let's go!"

"Stay by my side, ok? I'll look for you if you get lost, anyways" she gave him a doubtful glance; how could he see her if she got lost in such a big crowd? "these shinigami eyes allow us to see better than the human eye" he winked and approached the crowd.

The music filled their ears and their clothes moved with the sound waves coming from the stage. Even the ground seemed to move a little and the atmosphere was filled with euphoria and happiness. The place was filled with people, lots of them and everyone jumped with their arms in the air to the beat the DJ played. Many of them yelled in excitement, some others sang along and others moved their heads rhythmically.

It was the first time Susanna went to one of those events and, compared to other types of concerts, the atmosphere was very different. The place seemed to irradiate energy and the lights in the stage were beautiful in the night. Dancers with neon clothing moved and danced next to the DJ and beach balls jumped above the crowd, taken by the wave of hands moving with the music; they were even throwing bras and inflated condoms.

"Reload! I love this song!" Susanna's voice was barely heard.

"Me too!" Ronald said as loud as he could so she could hear him, but he didn't have much luck so they both laughed, jumping to the rhythm of the music and singing the lyrics.

Susanna's head was spinning around and the contract marc in her neck vibrated with the music as well. She didn't know if it was the volume, the tequila she just drank, the smell of marihuana in the distance or a mix of all of them, but she felt happy and filled with energy. She knew her legs would hurt so bad the next day, but that didn't stop her from jumping around and dancing with Ronald.

Exactly at 12:45 AM, the shinigami looked at his watch and approached Susanna, touching her shoulder.

"It's almost time to reap those souls. Do you want to come along or you rather wait for me?"

"Will you take long?"

"No, I can come back in 15 minutes… besides it won't be messy. Overdose is the cause of death, and the 3 guys are inside their tents"

"… I'll wait for you here…" she said with some bewilderment in her face after hearing how natural Ronald's voice sounded hen he said that.

"aight! I'll be back soon"

The shinigami walked away quite easily among the crowd. Apparently he had an ability to do it, because it would be nearly impossible for anyone else to walk with all those people jumping around. A few minutes later, Susanna started to feel dizzy; a familiar feeling of the alcohol's effect and she couldn't help but smile. The next song was one of her all-time favorites, so she jumped as hard s she could, feeling the sweat running down her back and neck, refreshing the contract mark that started to feel warm. For an instant, time seems to stop and then everything was in slow motion. She saw the group next to her, trying to lift one of their friends to get him near the stage, and how another group of guys looked at her insistently, trying to get her attention.

A new song started to play and suddenly she felt an arm surrounding her waist, approaching little by little from behind her. She felt that person's breath on her nape and a pair of lips next to her left ear, sending shivers down her spine. Her heart stopped for an instant, until she heard a familiar voice…

 _ **Author's notes:**_

 _ **Hey there!**_

 _ **So, chapter 9! How about it? I got some inspiration to write this one a couple months ago, when I went to this electronic music concert and an idea came to me: Ronald would be an excellent partner for that kind of events! So as soon as I was home, I wrote it down. The only difference is that, even if you are way too drunk, the effect would go away very soon, because you sweat a lot… and I mean a lot! With those jumps and dancing.**_

 _ **And back to the story… any ideas about who might appear behind Susanna?**_

 _ **Take care!**_


	10. Consequences

Chapter 10. Consequences.

A chill went down Susanna's back and the contract mark started to feel so hot, it ached on her neck, and then she heard a very familiar voice.

"I see you are having fun"

"Sebastian!" she knew he would eventually find her, but still, she was surprised to see him there.

"I thought you would wait for me at the party" still not letting her go and with an intense look in his eyes that she couldn't describe; antagonizing or ironic.

"There was a small change of plans…" she raised her voice so he could hear her with the loud music.

"So I've noticed, and it makes me sorrowful that you didn't want me to come along…" Sebastian's hand traveled down her arm, still holding her waist "… I believe it's time to go"

"But it's still early" she turned a little to look at him and their faces were very close, so much their breaths were mixed.

"If I might say it, you drank too much and I'm afraid that, if we remain here longer, we could provoke a scene, so it would be better if we go back"

"…Alright…" she finally said after trying to blackmail him with her puppy eyes without any results, but the tiny feeling the butler could take advantage of her state.

Before they walked towards the exit, Susanna gave a last glance and a flirtatious smile to the group of guys I front of her, and without her realizing it, Sebastian did the same, only with a threatening glare.

Once they were away from the crowd, they headed to the parking lot. The demon holding her with an arm around her waist so she could walk straight and as soon as they left the place, someone called the girl.

"Susanna!" the voice sounded worried.

"Ronald?"

"I was looking for you, I thought…" he ran towards them but immediately stopped as soon as he recognized Sebastian and adopted a defensive attitude.

"I suppose you were the one who got her drunk" the butler's eyes shone in pink; dangerous eyes looking at the shinigami "what were exactly your intentions?"

"What? I didn't…" he summoned his death scythe and held it tight as the air started to feel tense "we were just having fun"

"Sebastian…" she tried to sound persuasive, but her voice was groggy.

"Were you planning to take advantage of the situation?" Sebastian's voice was menacing.

"Hey! What are you implying? I would never..." the young man was interrupted by a pair of pruners hitting his head "ups…" without a doubt, he recognized who they belonged to.

"Ronald Knox! Would you care to explain what is going on here?" they all looked at William with different expressions. In one hand, Ronald looked very worried, on the other, Sebastian was angry and then, Susanna welcomed him with a big grin; she was in a very good mood.

"Sir! I… just finished with my work and…"

"Honestly, we already have enough problems with Sutcliff chasing around this demon and causing problems instead of only watching him and now this… and I presume this smell of alcohol doesn't come from you…" he approached the younger reaper.

"That... might be me…" Susanna managed to say between laugh, although Sebastian didn't let her get closer to them. As for William, he looked serious and cold as he glanced at her, making her react immediately "you know what? Smiling once in a while would make you even better looking. In fact, you would look very hot!... although that grumpy gesture isn't bad at all, you know what I mean? And…" she stopped talking as soon as she noticed the reproach and surprised faces on the three men "ok, I better shut up"

"Honestly…" William compulsively adjusted his glasses, avoiding to show any kind of emotions after Susanna's drunken words. Then he looked at Ronald "you will have to work overtime for this. Despite collecting the souls on time, you did it under the influence of alcohol, not to mention that you revealed the cause of death of those people to someone outside the shinigami dispatch… and don't even make me start with the administrative faults" severity showed in his voice and the blonde could only lowed his head after the scolding "besides, there is a demon here. Do you have any idea of the risk that means?"

"Sebastian just got here and we were already leaving" the girl tried to defend the younger reaper so William looked at her, studying her for a while.

"Let's go, Ronald. You have numerous reports to fill and you will also have to speak with the higher commands to explain your mess" they both walked away.

"Next time, you should keep an eye on your employees" Sebastian was determined to make William angry.

"Just what I needed, a blithering creature from hell to tell me how to do my work… especially when he isn't even capable of watching over his owner…" and then they disappeared, leaving Sebastian very upset with his comment.

"Burned…" said Susanna before laughing.

"We better go home, Miss…" his voice was irritated.

The next day, Sebastian entered Susanna's bedroom earlier than usual and with a triumphant smile on his face.

"Milady…" the butler said as he widely opened the curtains "it's time to wake up"

"Ah! Sebastian… close the goddamn curtain" she yelled as soon as she saw the light coming through the window. Then she saw the clock on the night table "what the hell?! It's 6:30 am and it's Sunday"

"Oh, perhaps I forgot to mention it, but you have a special event that you have to attend to. It 's a 10 km race organized by AstraZeneca on behalf of the HOSPITALES DE BENEFICENCIA you recently opened.

"I'm dying" there was something strange in her voice and an instant later she ran towards the bathroom.

With a very mischievous smile and not even bothering to hide it because Susanna wasn't looking at him, he followed her to the bath's door, where the unmistakable sound of vomit was heard. She would definitely suffer that morning and he would absolutely enjoy it.

"Milady, don't tell me you are hung over…" his voice sounded innocent and as soon as she went out of the bathroom, her eyes reflected deep hatred.

"I don't feel well at all…" and she ran towards the bathroom again while Sebastian looked for a proper outfit for the race. There was no way he would have mercy on her; not that day.

"I'm very sorry to say this, but it is necessary that you go to this race. You can run 5 km instead of 10 km if you'd prefer. I left some shorts, the official shirt and a pair of running shoes on your bed. Would you like some assistance for dressing?"

"As if! Not even in my wildest dreams!" was heard from the bathroom "just give me ten minutes" and he left the bathroom, waiting for the girl to come out of the room. Fifteen minutes passed and she didn't come out, so he decided to check on her.

"Oh, Miss…" a disappointed look appeared on his face after seeing that, once she was dressed with the sportive outfit she went back to sleep "I'm terribly sorry, but we have to go now" he approached the bed and carried her all the way to the car.

"Do not want!" she almost cried.

"Look at the bright side" Sebastian said as he walked down the stairs with the girl in arms "when the race is finished, the hangover will be gone" and cynically smiled.

Una vez en el auto, la chica se acostó en el asiento trasero esperando poder dormir, cosa que fue imposible debido a que, por casualidad, la carretera estaba cerrada y tuvieron que ir por un camino de terracería. Esto aumentó el malestar de la chica y en cuanto llegaron al lugar de la dichosa carrera y Sebastian le abrió la puerta, lo miró con los ojos más amenazadores que pudo hacer y dijo.

"You are doing this on purpose…" her pale skin was turning greenish.

"Oh, no Milady I wouldn't dare to do such a thing…" he made sure his gesture seemed offended, but his voice changed before saying "…not without reason, of course"

"I hate you…" she got off the car and walked towards the point here the race would start. There were many of her company's employees who greeted her by saying things like "we thought you wouldn't come" or "it's good to see you here". At that point, she wasn't sure what was worse: her butler's revenge for running away the night before or the terrible hangover that didn't let her think straight.

When Susanna finished the race she felt relieved. The agony was over, or at least part of it. She wasn't sure if she had ran or walked, but she managed to somehow finish with those 5 km and cross the finish line, where Sebastian waited for her with electrolytes and orange juice.

"Congratulations, Milady. You finished on an excellent time of…" he took out the watch on his pocket "…45 minutes…" and hi smile was like an angel's; so adorable it was cynic and shameless.

"We are going home, now!" she walked towards the car.

"But the medals…" he sounded disappointed but as soon as he saw the girl's face he decided it had been enough punishment for the day "as you wish"

Once they were home, the girl entered the kitchen, wearing sun glasses and with a very dry mouth. At least the nausea was gone, but the headache and cold sweat continued. She took out a bottle of water from the refrigerator and serum to rehydrate, then she sat in one of the chairs by the counter.

"Good morning, Miss" Abby's smile became a worried gesture when she saw the other girl "are you alright?"

"No…."

"I'm afraid Miss Susanna drank too much last night" Sebastian whispered.

"Oh, I see… do you want something to breakfast?"

"Not now… I will be in my room…" she stood up and headed to her room after seeing the annoying and mocking smile on the butler's face "this isn't over…"

Later that day, once she slept a couple more hours and regained strength, she went to the study to try to decipher the message in the letters. Sebastian had already made a translation and left it on her desk, making sure that the part that affected her wasn't there.

 _Congregati septem, adducebunt illum. Dum Deus sit mortus, tantum gladius et diabolus praebalebunt adversus eum;_ _together, the seven will bring it back. While God is dead, only the blade and the devil could win against him_

She couldn't think about the meaning behind it. She knew it was referring to the members of that group of families, but she didn't know what the "blade" was. It could be some king of power or metaphor, but… about what?

She looked through the window. All her attention had gone away with the birds flying in the horizon. She remembered the party and the concert from last night. She had so much fun and even the terrible hangover as worth it, although Sebastian took advantage of the whole situation to make it clear she shouldn't run away like that.

It was, somehow, a way to protect her, but she mustn't forget he was a demon and that morning's torture was proof of it. Then she thought about Ronald and William's severe scolding. He was a cool guy, carefree and funny, very different from the other shinigamis she knew. Grell was flamboyant and loved attention. On the other side, William was serious, strict, cold and with impeccable manners; attractive and handsome…

Wait, did she just thought about him as attractive and handsome? And now she remembered that last night she had told him he was very good looking, or something like that. She moved her head to get the idea off her mind and smiled to herself. A little while later, someone knocked on the door.

"Are you feeling better, Milady?"

"Much better… but if you ever repeat what you did this morning…"

"Yes?" he wanted to know what she would do. His attitude was challenging but his smile make him look more tractive.

"We will get rid of those cats you hide in the basement" the butler's expression immediately changed. At first he was surprised; he hid those adorable creatures very well, or so he thought. His face was now worried on a childish way "You think I didn't notice it? You can hear them from the garden. And after getting rid of them, we could get two dogs. I've always wanted to have a guard dog, one of those that seem threatening and scary. They would actually be very happy with all the space to run around"

"I don't think that would be necessary, Miss" his attitude was now kind and modest.

"I certainly hope so"

"Besides" he walked towards the desk, his eyes piercing her "why would you like two guard dogs? With my by your side would be more than enough and I don't bark"

"No, but your little games could be considered as bites"

"If I may say it" he got closer to her and whispered to her ear "…certain bites could cause much pleasure…" Susanna struggled, trying so hard that her face didn't show any emotions, as an endless torrent of ideas, thoughts and images went through her mind. Yes, she was expressionless, but her cheeks were bright pink.

"Did you find something yesterday?" she said after a moment, faking a cough.

"I'm glad you ask. I found around 10 places in common that one of the Ministers and Alphonse Turner often go. I didn't consider restaurants or social clubs, but there were some warehouses, offices and two docks that might interest you. I also found this in one of the offices" he took out a paper from his jacket and put it on Susanna's desk.

"This is a schedule" she studied it for a while "there's a shipment coming with shoes, dolls, liquor… looks pretty normal to me. What makes you think it's suspicious?"

"Schitterend, the Company that shipped it doesn't trade with that kind of products. They actually make chemical and cleaning products. That means they have access to labs and chemistry substances. Look at the name of the liquor those containers carry"

"N. Glasse, harvest of 1925… is the nitroglycerine they used on the bombs!" she sounded alarmed.

"And if it wasn't obvious enough, 19.253 is the exact measure of the original compound used in the mix"

"There must be something else in those containers. Perhaps drugs or…" she looked at Sebastian "it comes from Holland, Schneider hast to be there. It's his home coutry"

"Indeed. And if I may add, I would like to check that dock and study the movements in thre, as well as the security around it"

"If course. We have to be prepared"

"Unless you want something before I leave?" Sebastian friendly smiled, with a little naughtiness as if he was expecting Susana to ask him to stay a little longer, for whatever reason. Their eyes met for a second and then she said.

"No, you can go now" she tried to ignore him as he looked at the schedule again, avoiding the demon's glance.

"Understood. I'll see you later, then"

Sebastian jumped from the window behind Susanna's chair, and after that, a beating of wigs was heard.

With the same grace of an authentic bird, he flew wearing his crow shape through the London sky, where the whole city could be seen. He remembered those old times, at the end of XIX century, when traveling from one extreme of the city to the other didn't took longer than one hour and nights were darker. Only a few mansions and building had electricity and candles wouldn't last all night long.

It was impressive how much had London changed since he had a contract with Ciel Phantomhive, but humans despite being fascinating, kept making the same old mistakes, having the same longings and weaknesses, and from time to time someone interesting appeared. Sebastian's cleverness always led him to those people and made sure the circumstances were ideal so he could offered them a contract. Without a doubt, William T. Spears was right about his double intentions. He mentally smiled.

He had some expectations when he made the contract with Susanna, but they changed as he got to know her better, when he sensed her potential and her soul's flavor; the challenge of manipulating her, the distraction and entertainment she gave him was captivating, despite denying it at first, until the moment he stopped seeing her as something to feed on, and then she became something he could corrupt and mold just for the pleasure of leading her to the darkness.

Yes, pleasure was the best word to describe it, with all the meanings it implied, even his demonic carnal desires, which he had not succumbed to for a very long time. Another smile appeared on his mind as he thought about his plans.

The clockwise marked eight in the morning when Sebastian entered Susanna's room, ready to wake her up like he did every day, but as soon as he opened the door, he noticed she was already awake and taking a bath, which intrigued him.

A couple minutes later, the bath and closet's door opened and the girl, wearing a pair of jeans and a casual blouse walked into the room, not noticing his butler looking at her, without missing a single movement of her. Then she felt his stare around her, intense and intimidating as the first day they met, but something was different.

"You came back early" she looked through the widow.

"Yes, Milady. I've gathered all the information needed so you can" he chose the smoothest words he could "have a little talk with Kraig Schneider"

"Very well. Then…"

"I left some documents on your desk. Please, come with me so we can review them" Sebastian walked towards the door and stood next to it, waiting for the girl to step out the room. Once they were in the study they kept talking.

"They are letters, maps and inventory" she sat on the chair, taking the paper and studying them, astonished with the information. It was all she needed to know about Schneider and his connections with port authorities. She could even accuse him of contraband, but that wasn't her objective.

She continued reading the letter, and among them she found some correspondence between him, Ricardo Soler, Aidan Crawford and the letters D.S.G which could belong to that Janssens-Guillot guy. It was all she needed! Unluckily, there weren't any addresses or clues of their whereabouts, only white envelopes sealed like antique letters, with wax and a familiar seal. Apparently the 4 men had exchanged information about Ivan Reznik's murder and the strange circumstances around it. They also spoke about the suspicion on Susanna Serafer and how they failed to make her disappear some month before, but they weren't exactly sure she was responsible for Reznik's death. Also, many of the words they used were written in code; some terms weren't exactly common or adequate to the context, making everything even more suspicious.

Susanna got very serious after reading those papers, trying to assimilate the information she just read and felt the need of running after them in that moment, ending with everything once and for all. The idea of abandon her mission had gone long time ago and now she could only face what came next.

"Sebastian, this time we need to be very careful. Something tells me that this will be more complicated than the Crimson Cherry" she took another look at the guard schedules her butler had prepared. All the needed information for organize an attack was written in there "we might need some help with this. We are talking about a dock with many containers and where Schneider's guards could be hidden"

"I'm agree, Miss. We will need someone to drive the car and that knows the city pretty well. Perhaps we could even use two cars" Sebastian walked around the study with a finger on his chin, very focused "we will also need someone capable of close combat and someone to tell us the position of the guards"

"That would be the best, and I don't think you can divide in four…" she wrote down some ideas in one of the papers on the desk "get some mercenaries that…"

"What kind of butler would I be if I hadn't already taken care of that?" he grinned.

"You did? And where…" she followed the butler with her eyes, siding her head with curiosity as he opened the study's door…

Author's notes.

Hi everyone!

I had so much fun writing this chapter and I'm very anxious to publish what's next. A very cool action scene is coming, and there will be plenty of surprises!


	11. The docks and the warehouse

Chapter 11. The docks and the warehouse.

Sebastian's grin was triumphal as he walked towards the door and Susanna followed him with her eyes, curious about what kind of mercenaries he had gotten.

"I'm pleased to inform you that, as part of your heritage, your grandfather left you three very capable employees"

Fer, Abby and Thomas waited outside the study, ready to enter when Sebastian told them to. One by one they stood in front of the girl's desk, who was very surprised to see them like that, in line with a smile on their faces and a huge determination in their eyes.

"I thought only Thomas had known my grandfather.

"Everyone did, but Mr. Haggard knew him since they were still kids and they were quite close. On his last years, Master Richard made sure his family, or what was left of them, were well protected and for that he hired these two young people" the butler explained "Thomas has always been in charge of security. He knows the city like anyone and he will be our driver for tonight's escape route"

"It will be my pleasure, Miss" Thomas widely smiled and bowed.

"Ferdinand used to work at the MI6. He was part of the engineering, electronics and intelligence division, so he will be in charge of detecting how many guards are in the docks, their positions and movements"

"But…" this time the girl was almost shocked "just… how old are you, Fer?"

"I know I look younger than I actually am" he laughed "but I'm actually 35. Your grandfather hired me when I left the MI6, after a very… traumatic experience" his voice got darker as he remembered.

"Then, Master Richard found Abby, who suffered a terrible amnesia at the time and he made sure she received training. She is specialist in CQC, so she will come with us and clear the area so we ca find Mr. Schneider and take those documents"

"Finally, some action!" the blonde girl seemed very excited.

"I never…" Susanna was speechless "…thought you were…"

"Your grandfather gave us the task of protecting the Serafer family, and he was always generous and kind to us" Fer seemed very solemn "so it's only fair for us to go after those people who are trying to destroy your family, the same people who killed him. It's the least we could do"

"Thank you. I really appreciate it"

Fer seems excited and Thomas and Abby apparently shared the feeling. As for Sebastian, he just looked at the scene with satisfaction. Apparently, all those years of anticipation were paying off. Being Richard Serafer's advisor gave him prospective of his current contract.

Without wasting any more time, they started to make the plan. Fer's knowledge in espionage was a great help on avoid being caught. They thought of a route that would take them directly to Kraig Schneider and a plan to distract the guards and keep them away from the docks. Of course, they made sure to skip all details about Sebastian's true identity and any supernatural stuff that might be involved.

Two cars left the Serafer residence at twilight. One of them was driven by Thomas, along with Abby and Fer who were in that same vehicle, which carried a bunch of electronic equipment, like laptops, gadgets, infrared binoculars and a well-equipped medical kit. Sebastian and Susanna were in the second car, carrying some weapons. The docks were around 45 minutes away, so they had time to review the plan.

"When were you planning to tell me they were trained?" she wasn't mad at the butler; she even had a tiny smile in her lips, but it was obvious he choose to hide the employees' identities.

"I was waiting for the right time" he seemed relaxed as his eyes focused on the road while driving.

"How convenient…"

"Certain things are better when postponed" he looked at her with a seductive glance and a smile on his face. She didn't answer to it, she wasn't willing to keep the demon's little game; she wouldn't give him that pleasure.

The warehouse next to the docks appeared to be abandoned. Everything was dark from the outside, so they left the cars in a moderate distance. Then they put on the earpieces to communicate and walked towards the depot. Sebastian made some tricks to open the lock on the main gate and as soon as they entered, the scenery in front of their eyes was very different from what they expected: lots of boxes and containers piled up, from every size and color. Each one marked with a strange symbol that revealed its content.

There were some lights that illuminated the outside part of the warehouse, where the containers were. They were around 300 meters away from the door and they had to be really sneaky so the guards didn't see them. Once they were well hidden, Fer sent a drone to cause a small fire in one of the garbage containers on the other side of the area. Almost immediately, the guards ran to that point and as soon as the fire was extinguished, the same drone launched sleeping gas and left them unconscious.

When Fer gave the signal, Sebastian, Abby and Susanna approached to the depot, making sure their steps didn't make any noises and ready for anything. Both girls carried a gun and the butler led the way with the attitude of a SWAT agent.

On the earpiece, Fer told them where the guards stood and guided them towards the entrance so they advanced fast. When it was necessary, Abby knocked down a guard so they wouldn't be seen.

The warehouse was huge and very dark, there was only one light bulb illuminating the right side. As they got closer, they could hear some male voices. Someone was giving indications while the others nodded or commented about it, but the creepiest thing were the screams and coming from one of the containers on the other side of the place, as if a bunch of people asked for help.

As soon as they were close enough to understand what the group of men were saying, Sebastian told the girls to hide behind a big box and asked them to remain silent; perhaps they could hear something important about their activities.

"From now on, I want a security operative surrounding this warehouse. I won't put the wares and shipments under unnecessary risk, besides the murder of one of our associates put everyone on alert. We have reasons to believe we are next" said a middle aged man with blonde hair, blue eyes and arrogant attitude, wearing an elegant dark blue suit. Apparently he as in charge of the place and he scolded the men around him.

"Yes sir!"

"We have at least twenty armed men guarding this place. Another shipment from Morocco will arrive in six days and another one from Holland in two weeks. I don't need to remind you of the big importance of this, neither of what would happen to you if anything goes wrong. From now on, the priority will be the shipments and me. The rest can go to hell, understood?"

The man kept talking about the logistic and the wares inside the depot, but he didn't mention anything useful; nothing that could lead Susanna to Crawford or Soler, so she made a gesture so Sebastian got closer.

"I need you to get a sample of that nitroglycerine. Get rid of the guards only if is necessary, otherwise just tie them up and don't make any noises. I also need those papers on the table" then she looked at the other girl "Abby, please, knock down those guards nearby that idiot, understood? We need to distract him. As soon as we are done, we'll check on those screams in the other side of the warehouse. They might be witnesses of the business here"

"Yes, Milady…" in a blink of an eye, the butler disappeared while Susanna indicated Abby to follow her and to take care of the guards after the signal.

Two minutes later, Susanna started to walk and indicated that the plan would have to start.

One by one, the guards fell and Fer let them know how many were left around. While Abby left some of them unconscious, Sebastian knocked down some others and tied them with the ropes he found. The target was facing the table under the light bulb, checking the lists and documents he just received and didn't notice any movement.

"Kraig Schneider… I didn't think it would be so easy to find you alone…" said Susanna with mocking voice as she walked towards the blond man, pointing at him with her gun.

"Who the hell are you?" the man asked, very surprised to see the girl I front of him, but as soon as he notices his bodyguards falling one by one, and taking a better look at her, he realized what was going on "oh, so it' true… it is you… the last of the Serafer family" he laughed as he put his right hand inside of his trouser pocket, casually "I didn't think you would have the guts to come into my dominion and get rid of my guards. I have to admit that it was bold… but everything ends here… but not for you, sweetie" he smiled at Abby, who stood next to Susanna, pointing at him with her gun "you can come and work for me. Someone with those abilities would be useful. Besides, in a couple minutes you will be unemployed…"

"You sound too relaxed for someone who has two guns pointed at him" Susanna looked at Abby "or that is completely surrounded" referring to Sebastian, who had just taken the papers from the table behind Kraig Schneider.

"Oh, you brought your bodyguards… interesting, but I'm sorry that your plan won't work. You see, the problem with Ivan was his weakness. He couldn't stop visiting that whorehouse multiple times a week, and let's say that he was trapped on his own mediocrity, but the rest of us are different… we are never alone…"

When he said that, he took out a cellphone from his pocket and threw it at the floor. Almost immediately, one of the containers exploded. At first the horror expression on Susanna and Abby were caused by the explosion, but then they noticed that the screams and yells couldn't be heard anymore… that container was blown with those people inside.

Taking advantage of the confusion, Schneider threw a small flask with purple liquid inside. His eyes turned white for a couple instants and incomprehensible words left his lips. Everything happened so fast, that no one had time to react. No one but Sebastian, who suddenly appeared behind Susanna to take her away from the thick liquid spreading in the floor.

"Abby, hurry up and find Thomas. We need an escape route as soon as possible. Take this with you" the butler yelled and threw the documents at her "we need the area to be clean. The same with Fer!" the demon wasn't sure about what was that purple liquid, but the reek coming from it couldn't mean anything good; it was the same smell from the pounds in the underworld, and aside of protecting Susanna, he didn't want Abby to see what was about to happen. He carried the dark haired girl to keep her away from the liquid, but at the same time he was going deeper into the warehouse.

As for Abby, she took the papers, knowing very well how important they were and willing to protect them with her life. She rant between the boxes as fast as she could, approaching the door and ignoring the smoke filling the place. Fer indicated her the best way to get out the warehouse, as he looked through his binoculars and along with Thomas, they approached the main gate.

He gave Abby many indications, but suddenly he wasn't able to see anymore. A thick fog invaded the warehouse.

A couple seconds after Abby went out the place, Sebastian left Susanna on the top of a heavy wooden box, whey she could see two horrible beings coming out from the floor, like take out of a terror movie or a survival horror videogame. The two individual had grey skin, hooded and with chains in their arms and legs. They were two meters tall and their eyes were completely red. Instead of talking, they emitted grim howls that would cause goosebumps on anyone. The thick liquid soon turned into purple smoke that seemed very hot and caused fire as soon as it reached the wooden boxes around the place.

"What the fuck?! Are those abominations coming to eat us? We should get out of here!" Susanna managed to say after the impression of seeing those creatures.

"Those are not abominations, Miss…" said Sebastian with an offended tone and a little annoyed after her comment "they are D class demons…" and then he was conscious about the whole situations and his attitude changed. Now he was very alarmed "and yes… we should run… they are very aggressive"

As soon as the demons stood there, they focused their eyes on some guards that were tied next to them. Meanwhile, the boxes were starting to burn and Abby, who had just left the place noticed she didn't have much time, so she kept running as fast as she could to get to the car and deliver the papers.

The demons seemed distracted with the guards and their threatening eyes looked hungry, obviously thinking about eating their souls. In that moment a pruner hit one of them demons; the one who was closest to the guards.

"No!... there is no way I will permit a bloody demon like you to feed on a soul during my shift…" William appeared just in time to avoid the guards' souls being eaten "I'm not willing to work overtime because of some wild beasts" he muttered to himself and hit the other demon with great ability, getting on attack position "hell spectrums…" he said with disgust.

His original job was to capture a certain individual, keep a demon from feeding on some souls and collect the cinematic records, but when the task was given to him, he thought the demon was Sebastian; he never though he would face Class D demons, not to mention that, indeed Michaelis was lurking somewhere nearby.

The shinigami arrived a couple minutes before the guards' death and he would have to distract those creatures until the exact time came, which wasn't an easy task at all because they were very powerful and aggressive. Nevertheless, he controlled them but the problem was that, if he didn't manage to knock them down or kill them before the time came, he would have difficulties with the cinematic records.

His death scythe attacks were precise and his movements fluid, worthy of the supervisor of the Management Division, but still those demons managed to hit him a couple times and a minute before collecting those souls one of the windows in the warehouse broke, letting in two figures that entered at full speed; one in black and the other in red, who stood in front of the creatures who roared and tried to hit them

"Sir! It looks like you started the party without us"

"Will, dear, you know that I would follow you to hell, but these aren't the types of demons I had in mind…"

"Grell Sutcliff, Ronald Knox, distract those demons" said William as soon as he saw his coworkers "I need to collect those souls and capture Kraig Schneider to the mess he has caused to the souls lately" both shinigamis were the reinforcements sent to accomplish the mission given by the higher ranks of the Dispatch.

Susanna was alarmed as soon as she heard it and Sebastian took the chance to put her the floor again. The heat caused by the fire was suffocating and it was getting worse with every passing second.

"Listen, I will be the one who kills Schneider. Make some time while I'm at it. It's an order"

"Understood, Miss…" the butler said solemnly as he bower and ran to distract William, who was heading towards Schneider.

Perhaps getting rid of the other tied guards would distract him. After all he was a demon and he could eat their souls. He looked around and there was fire everywhere, William was fighting with one of the hooded demons; they went to separate ways to distract the shinigamis and fought dangerously nearby one of the boxes with nitroglycerine, so Sebastian decided to intervene to avoid an explosion.

As fast as her legs allowed her to, the girl ran after Schneider. The coward was hiding behind a large box. He was waiting for her with a revolver aiming at her, ready to shoot as soon as she appeared, but she was expecting that, so she ran towards him, shooting with her Smith and Wesson .45 directly to the man's leg, who immediately screamed in pain, but he managed to shot her too. The bullet hit her thigh. Now they were both injured, but for an instant, her anger and rage was more powerful than the pain and approached him with determination.

"You damn whore!"

"That's very kind!... I'm Susanna Serafer, Mr. Schneider and thanks to your friends" she looked at the demons fighting with Sebastian and the shinigamis "we will have to do this fast…" she shot him in the other leg, to stop him from running away "I need the location of your partners. You know who I'm talking about"

"Fuck you if it weren't for your ancestor's betrayal, things would be very different"

"Exactly, but if wishes were horses… so before I blow your head with my gun, do you have any information for me?" Susanna played a little with her gun as she waited for Schneider to speak.

"Fuck off, you fucking cunt!... you are not even aware of the power that runs through your veins and you want to kill us all"

"And I guess you won't explain it to me, right?... don't waste my time" she aimed at his head.

"This won't be easy, even if you take us out of the way, you won't be able to handle _Him_ you, your stupid tricks and those damn bodyguards, despite being talented, won't be a match for him. You don't know what you are getting yourself into and as soon as he has you under his power, you will be his slave for the rest of the eternity" the man said those words as if they were a curse; perhaps they were "yes…" he laughed "your soul is already damned, like the rest of your bloody family, unless someone takes advantage of you being a woman…"

"Oh, come on! A misogynist comment? Wow… I was actually expecting something more intelligent. What you're saying doesn't make any sense and… I'm sorry, but I already have an appointment for the rest of the eternity… my soul belongs to someone else, so _he_ would have to take a number. You sure you don't want to say anything else before dying?"

"Never! _Deus est mortuus et nos occidimus eum_ "

"Ah!" Susanna held her head, trying to stop those images from the time when she was kidnaped, unsuccessfully. She looked at the roof, hoping that turning her head up would allow her to breathe better, but the pain from the bullet in her thigh was terrible, just like her memories. The slim line between reality and recall was diffuser than ever.

After seeing her reaction, Kraig Schneider took the opportunity to drag himself to the back door, hoping to be there on time as Susanna's screams were heard all around the warehouse, making the shinigamis turn to look at her along with Sebastian, who was sure she wasn't in risk of death, but those screams could only mean one thing: she was having another PTSD attack.

Immediately, Sebastian hurried to hit the other demon and launch him to the other side of the warehouse, where his twin fought Grell and Ronald. Then, with fast peace, he ran towards Susanna, noticing that William was nowhere to be seen, and then his eyes opened widely…

Rage invaded Susanna and the thirst of vengeance clouded her thoughts, making her walk slowly and angrily towards Schneider, on a frenzy caused by her own memories and the repulsion for them.

She followed the track of blood on the floor and as soon as she found him, without saying a work she shoot at his face, tore and stomach as teardrops left her eyes. The gunshots sounded loud, along with the punch noises farther away, caused by the fights with those demons. Then, a bright light blinded Susanna, making her cover her eyes, still on the rapture she was experimenting.

From Schneider's chest, some defined shadows that looked like movie tapes appeared and William, who rushed towards the man, collected his soul. He couldn't stop Susanna from killing him, but his cinematic record wouldn't go away.

"Kraig Schneider. Born on April the 4th of 1960. Dead on June 6th, 2015. No important events. Completed" seconds later, the bright light disappeared and the shinigami put a seal on the book he was holding, which disappeared moments later "soul correctly reaped"

The reaper looked at Susanna, who was sitting with her back leaning against one of the boxes in the place, away from the fire. He had been witness of what had happened; it was evident she wasn't herself at the moment: she cried and sobbed with the gun in her hand, covering her ears as if she as trying to mute inexistent voices that made her suffer. Aside of that, he could also see some kind of golden mist approaching her, but only for a couple seconds.

William felt again that strange sensation of compassion and will to protect her; Susanna's state was unbearable in his eyes, which screamed the word endearment as they looked at her. Then he kneeled on the floor, slowly approaching so she wouldn't be more upset and then with a serious but soft tone on his voice he said.

"Susanna… it's me, William. Look at my eyes"

"No, I don't want to… I don't want those men to hurt me!" she threw the gun to and embraced herself, tears kept flowing from her eyes down to her cheeks. She was trembling and sweating cold, although she wasn't yelling anymore.

Meanwhile, Sebastian approached them as fast as he could, worried for her and the violent reactions she might have. Besides, he wasn't sure what William was up to; he didn't know if he would attack her in order to finish his job or if he would do something against her, but the doubt was quickly answered, when he saw them next to a big box: the girl in the middle of a panic attack and the shinigami… comforting her?

"Please, calm down. Look at me" William took her face with his hand so she would focus her eyes on him, before she could have another attack or scream. He was able to keep Susanna's gaze "concentrate on my eyes" her sobbing stopped "we are in a warehouse in London. I can assure you that no one is going to hurt you, but I need you to calm down, yes? Take a deep breath and keep looking at my eyes" something in his voice sounded different; at first he was quite alarmed and worried but soon it became curiously kind "Good. Now, do you remember my name?"

"Wi… William" the girl as finally reacting.

"That's right, Susanna, and what are we doing here?"

"Schneider… I came to kill him…" her eyes opened a little more, she was surprised as if she had just woke up in the middle of the night just to see that she was safe in her room… except that they were in a warehouse on fire with a pair of demons fighting against two reapers and she had just killed a man "William, what…?"

"I was very worried about you, Milady" Sebastian jumped towards them.

"You?! worried?" the shinigami stood up and adjusted his glasses; his voice returning to the usual tone.

"I did what you asked me to, but as soon as I heard you screaming…" ignoring the reaper's comment, Sebastian helped her stand up and handed her the gun that was in the floor, noticing the wound in her leg "you are injured…"

Suddenly, a couple meters away from them, some boxes set on fire and one of the demons launched a fire ball on Susanna's direction, but before it could reach her, the butler carried her by the waist and took her to a safe place.

"Schneider is dead, we just need to get rid of those demons" the girl said, but she had some trouble speaking clearly. The wound in her thigh was hurting so much. They were now standing on the top of one of the containers, and William followed them.

"Honestly, I highly doubt that pistol of yours could be any useful right now" the shinigami said before jumping to attack one of the demons with his death scythe but before he could hit it, the creature summoned a golden spear; it as a long weapon that shone with every movement and had hieroglyphs craved on its surface.

"That spear!" Grell yelled.

"It's the spear of Gungnir" William explained, as if he was warning the other shinigami about the danger. He was evidently shocked after seeing it and then he hurried to regroup with his subordinates.

Then, the hooded demon tried with all his strength to reach the dark haired reaper who was too fast for him, but he couldn't anticipate the other demon's movement, who was rights behind him, trying to cut his head off with his claws.

Grell screamed as soon as he saw what was going on. William jumped and dodged the blow, but the spear reached his arm and he fell into the ground, in front of the eyes of the worried shinigamis and Susanna, who saw the scene from far away, mortified to see him disappearing among the smoke that was filling the place...

 **Author's notes:**

 **I know…. Will!**

 **What's going to happen to William?! Let's hope that wound isn't too serious… just when he was starting to show interest in Susanna. Let's see what happens on the next chapter, which will be a little bloody.**

 **By the way, there is a little reference from a videogame in one of the dialogues (dragon age 2) did someone noticed it? I thought it was fun to add it.**

 **Let me know if you like the story so far and feel free to leave any suggestions. Have a great weekend!**


	12. Tempting wounds

**Chapter 12. Tempting wounds.**

William fell into the floor and no one could see him for a couple instants, everything happened in slow motion and a buzz invaded the place but suddenly a black shadow appeared on the right side of the warehouse. It was him, jumping and glaring at those demons. The reaper used his death scythe to jump and cut one of the demon's legs, but he was evidently hurt.

It was amazing how fast the supervisor of the shinigamis was and how easy he dodged the demon's blows as he pierced them with his weapon while Grell tried to stop their attacks and Ronald recovered from a heavy blow As for Sebastian, he told Susanna to hide behind a pile of boxes that weren't yet damaged.

"You will have to leave this place as soon as possible. Stay here while I plan an escape route"

"Alright" the girl stood there, frustrated because she wasn't able to do anything about the situation. Something inside of her told her to fight, but she knew she wouldn't stand a chance against those grey demons.

Sebastian joined the fight, which was getting rougher with every second. The spear those demons had wasn't just any weapon; it had already pierced through William's arm, so no one was safe from a lethal attack.

With a big fireball, Sebastian manage to make the demons move backwards. He knew their weaknesses very well; he was one of them, although this pair was the most aggressive of his kind. Luckily, he could make some time but it would be nearly impossible to win the battle without compromising Susanna's safety, especially with the nitroglycerine inside the containers, so he screamed at William from one of the joists in the roof; the shinigami was near the girl, trying to stop the bleeding in his arm.

"Take Susanna out of here!" Sebastian's face showed genuine concern; for the first time in several centuries, he didn't feel in control of the situation, much less with the Gungnir spear there, which could deadly hurt demons and shinigamis equally, and something inside told him that Susanna would be safe if she was with William; if he couldn't protect her from a certain dead, at least the reaper would be able to take her out of the warehouse.

William's first instinct was to antagonize the demon. How could he cooperate with such abomination? Much less, agree to one of his petitions, but on the other hand, he was conscious the girl's life was in danger, and the butler referring to her by the first name showed how dangerous the situation was

In that moment, the shinigami though it wasn't only the fact that Susanna could help humanity; by that time, there was already something deeper that made him worry about her wellbeing, something that contradicted his doctrines and beliefs, but it existed nevertheless. He was speechless for a moment, and then Ronald appeared right next to him, with his usual energy and lawnmower

"Sir! We'll take care of this. You are hurt and you can't fight properly… the demon, Grell and I will take care of those monsters… wow, I never thought I would say such thing" he said that last part to himself as he jumped to dodge a joist falling from the roof. William looked at him and nodded.

"You better finish them up. I don't want to work overtime the rest of the week"

Getting out of the warehouse with the girl was the best option, since they were both hurt and they would only get in the way of the fight. He was more than able to judge such situation, so he approached Susanna, who was in one corner, behind some boxes, coughing and breathing with difficulty because of the smoke. He helped her stand up and held her y the waist with his good arm.

"What are you doing?"

"Saving your life for the second time… hold on tight" and she surrounded her with her arms as he used his death scythe to break one of the windows and get out of the place.

Right before William and Susanna left, Sebastian looked at them as they jumped through the window, and for a moment the expression on his eyes changed, but that disappeared quickly, when he was conscious again of what was going on around him and now that his Mistress wasn't there, he didn't have to hold back his powers when fighting, so a black shadow appeared around him. As for the shinigamis, they looked more threatening and their green eyes glowed even brighter. Something bad was about to happen…

As soon as William and the girl were outside the warehouse, they met Fer, who was impatiently waiting for them to get out. He told them where the car was and they went to such place. The reaper was still holding her, making sure her leg didn't get any more hurt. While they walked towards the car, heavy and loud noises came from the warehouse, as well as howls made by the type D demons.

As soon as they were there, Abby helped them get in the car and Thomas started the engine.

"Miss! Are you alright? Where's Sebastian?" the other girl asked very alarmed.

"Well, we're still alive… Sebastian will catch up with us in the house. I need a medical kit" she had a gesture of pain in her face "Fer, can you hear me?" she touched the earpiece.

"Loud and clear, miss. What are your instructions?"

"Hide and wait until Sebastian goes out. As soon as you see him, go and pick him up. He will be with two other men with glasses. Take them home and have some medical equipment at hand, just I case" the adrenaline flowed through her veins and her worried face was noticeable.

"Understood"

"Here you go" Abby handed her the medical kit.

"By the way, this is Mr. Spears" she pointed at William as she took the box.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Spears. Thank you for bringing Miss Susanna to the car"

"No… it's nothing" he was serious as always as he saw the warehouse in flames getting smaller as they went away

The car had always have medical supplies in case of emergency, and it was well equipped for any kind of situation. She hurried to prepare a morphine shot for the pain in her leg and William looked at her with reproach.

"It's not a high dose…" she explained before he would lecture her.

"Honestly… you were lucky to get out of there only with a bullet wound" he said as he took off his necktie and gave it to her so she could make a tourniquet.

"Thanks" she took it and tied it to her leg, making sure the bleeding stopped and with an intense gesture of pain "I…" she leaned in the seat at last "wouldn't be alive if it weren't for you"

"…I'm glad you're fine…"

There was silence for the rest of the trip. They were all either impressed for what had happened, or lost on their thoughts, trying to find an explanation for what they saw; an explanation that would never come and only Sebastian, the shinigamis and Susanna would understand.

As soon as they were back in the house and parked the car, they went inside. Susanna went to look for a more complete medical kit they kept in the kitchen.

"Come with me" she told William as she entered the studio on the first floor and closing the wooden sliding doors. As for Abby, she walked towards the kitchen, wondering what had happened in the warehouse.

Once in the studio, William sat in one of the couches, getting his breath back and organizing his thoughts after what he saw. Besides, either he liked it or not the spear hurt him bad and the pain was intense, almost impossible to hide.

"Are you alright?" she took a chair and sat in front of him.

"Yes… it's just a scratch and..." he began to explain but stopped when he noticed Susanna got closer to him, approaching to his right shoulder. There was something in her closeness that made him feel restless in a way he seemed to enjoy.

"There's a big blood stain. I don't think it's only a scratch. Let me see, I want to take a look at that wound" she said as she prepared some cottons and alcohol to tend the shinigami's wound.

"How do you pretend to take care of me when you have a bullet wound in the leg?... honestly, you humans aren't practical at all."

"Stop complaining. With the tourniquet and the morphine shot I got in the car it's enough for now. I'll take care of it later, now we need to check you. I don't want the _Chief Supervisor of the shinigamis_ to be unable to do his work because of me"

"The correct title is _Supervisor of the Shinigami Dispatch Society_ and… this is hardly because of you, besides… what are you doing?" he objected as soon as he felt the girl's touch on his chest.

"How do you expect me to check that wound with your jacket on?... William, for once in your life, let someone else help you, would you?" she looked at him with an annoyed gaze but a lot of kindness in her eyes. She was truly worried about him and not only because of the attraction she had towards him. After all, he was the one who helped her get over the nervous crisis at the warehouse.

"Honestly… " he took off the jacket with a very slowly; any movement made the pain get worse.

"Let's see" Susanna helped him to get rid of the jacket as she looked at the shinigami's bare hands for the first time. She had always seen him wearing gloves and wondered many times if he had black nails like Sebastian, but he didn't. His fingers were long and his skin seemed smooth and soft to the touch.

"You still have it!" she said after seeing the purple wrist band on William's hand; the same one she gave him when they met.

"It was a gift, I can't just get rid of it" he looked at the other side, pretending to look at the paintings in the studio.

Susanna fought the urge to take William's hand, distracting herself with his shirt as she slowly unbuttoned it while he looked at her with a serene expression, delighting with the soft touches over his clothes. And then he remembered that _casual_ comment she made the day of the concert, perhaps under the influence of alcohol, but did she consider him as attractive?... immediately he turned to see the painting on the wall, which suddenly seemed more interesting than anything else.

When he had only his sleeveless shirt, Susanna took a small towel with water to clean the blood around the wound on William's shoulder. As she cleaned it, she fought the temptation of getting distracted with the reaper's looks, which seemed to invite her to touch him: his soft skin and the shirt, which didn't cover him completely, made her imagination run as his essence made it even harder. The smell of the cologne in his skin was intoxicating.

They both remained silent, pretending to be very focused on the healing task and then she took a small cotton with alcohol.

"This can hurt a little…"

"We, shinigamis don't… ah!" he obviously didn't expected to feel any pain when the alcohol touched his wound.

"Well, I'm very sorry, Mister shinigami, but that spear had something that's making you feel as if you were mortal… don't worry, I don't think it will last long" she laughed with a little malice as she continued disinfecting the cut with one hand and holding his arm with the other.

William's skin was cold, several degrees under the human's average and contrasted with the girl's warmth. He was relaxed, despite of the pain. Susanna's presence calmed him and as much as he tried to deny it, he liked feeling her touch. He enjoyed it more than it was sensate, considering the circumstances. For a moment he felt the need of saying something. Perhaps something just to break the silence, although he didn't feel uncomfortable with it, but he wanted to hear her voice and see her expressions as she spoke, then he thought it would be fine to ask something simple, to make her feel comfortable, but before he could speak, she said something.

"By the way… I'm sorry for what happened the other day with Ronald" she was shy, and avoided his eyes "it seemed like a good idea at the moment. You know, running away from that boring party and going to this concert with him"

"It was reckless" there was severity in his voice "I mean from Mr. Knox, and considering how intoxicated you were…"

"Damn!..." he laughed as she remembered everything she said "I guess I as very drunk" there was a pause "I supposed I made you feel uncomfortable… no… I mean, I didn't… well, what I'm trying to say is…" she started to get nervous and even the cotton in her hands fell.

"Don't worry, it's in the past… although I should admit, I was rather surprised that… grotty demon didn't find you sooner. He isn't as smart as he thinks" his voice had a spark of victory and she took another cotton ball.

"William…" she made a pause before speaking again and looked at her eyes for an instant, just to make sure he was looking at her too and then she turned her eyes to the cut "I'm sorry you had to see me like that at the warehouse. I don't know how you did it, but… you took me out of there; out of that scary place in my mind… thank you" she kept cleaning the wound as William's eyes opened wider, focusing on her and watching her lips tighten as she cleaned the wound, trying not to hurt him.

"You don't have to thank me, it' just that…" but before she could say anything else, a loud noise coming from the opening door was heard and then some steps.

"Sir! Are you…? Ups, sorry, we didn't mean to interrupt" Ronald was the first who entered and he was surprised after seeing the scene and misunderstand it completely. The view angle from the door didn't let anyone see the medical kit.

"Will! What are you doing to my Will?!" Grell's voice was heard.

"What are you talking about? I'm cleaning his wound…" she turned to look at them and stood up "and I see you need some help too" Ronald and Grell were hurt from the fight against those demons. They didn't seem to have been reached by the spear, but their faces had some cuts and part of their clothes were burned.

"Yeah, that spear was special" Ronald sat and relaxed on the couch, next to William "that was Gungnir's spear. According to the legend, it belonged to Odin. Can you imagine? The weapon of Odin himself and in the hands of a demon… but don't worry, boss! We confiscated it" he showed William a big smile "a weapon like that, in the wrong hands, could be a chaos. It can hurt any creature. It's even more powerful than a death scythe. That explains why we are all like this" he said looking at the wound on his boss's arm.

"Odin's spear… where's Sebastian? Is he ok? Did something happened to him?" Susanna suddenly stood up from the chair, alarmed and worried about her Butler.

"He's hurt, but I don't think it's serious. As soon as we entered the house, he went looking for a medical kit to cure your wound" Grell filled his nails, leaning in the wall.

"And when I saw Abby, she told me you had already retrieved it and was taking care of Mr. Spears" Sebastian entered the room. His shirt was torn and he had multiple cuts in his arm, but he had a bigger wound in his stomach, right below his ribs. He seemed to be standing with difficulty, which was a lot to say, considering he was a demon, but he didn't complain at all.

"Sebastian! Are you alright?" Susanna approached him, trying to check the wound "we need to do something about it"

"Wonderful! At last, I have an excuse to see Sebastian and Will, shirtless…. Who should I tend to first?... perhaps Sebastian while you continue with Will, or maybe I should take care of Will" Grell yelled around the room, deciding who should he help first, while Susanna helped Sebastian sit down in one of the couches. He could barely stand up and he leaned on the girl to do it as he glanced at the dark haired shinigami with mocking and victorious look in his eyes, which was answered with an deep angry glare. Meanwhile, Ronald was having fun seeing the whole scene, and noticed William seemed rather upset, which was even more entertaining when he found out the reason "Oh, perhaps it's destiny! William, I will take care of your wounds"

"I highly doubt it, Grell Sutcliff… we better head back to the shinigami realm…" he took his shirt and jacket, without showing any gesture that indicated pain, despite his arm being really bad "we could get some proper medical attention in there. Besides, we need to make a report for the higher ups. Let's go… this will be a long night" he approached the door and waited until his subordinates got out the place and then looked at Sebastian, sitting in the couch still wearing a triumphal smile. He really despised him. Then he turned to see Susanna "I really appreciate everything you did. Thank you, Susanna. I'll see you later" he bowed a little and then closed the door after leaving the studio.

"Bye, William" her eyed followed him as he went out. She was worried, and her expression didn't change much when she looked at his butler.

The demon was lying in the couch with his eyes almost closed, and he had a hard time breathing. The wound was painful and any movement made it worse. For the first time, Sebastian seemed vulnerable, although his aura was as threatening as always.

"Sebastian?" she said softly and with a slow movement, he opened his eyes, trying to stand up when he saw her.

"Milady… how's your leg? We have to…" she put her hand on his right shoulder, stopping him from standing.

"I'll be right back. Don't even try to get up" she went out the studio to wash her hands and when she returned, Sebastian was still lying in the couch, following her orders "it looks like you just got a nice beating… you have multiple wounds in the arm, but I'm more worried about the one under your ribs"

"I'm terribly sorry, I didn't think two demons would appear, much less carrying Gungnir's spear"

"At least I got to kill Schneider… alright I will need to take your shirt off" She took some alcohol and put in a small box with cotton balls.

"Of course, you can take my shirt off whenever you want…" his smile was weak.

"At least that spear didn't take away your sense of humor" she struggled a little with the necktie, thanks to Sebastian's intense gaze. He mischievously smiled and raised his eyebrow, as if he was ready to attack.

He wasn't looking at her hands, but her face, conscious of the effect he had in her, and despite of being hurt, he enjoyed watching her blushing as she started to unbutton his blood-stained shirt, letting see his ripped chest. She tried very hard not to touch him and ignore the skin adjusting perfectly to his muscles. It was as if he was taken directly from a movie, and the fact of him being a demon, made it even more surreal. Susanna had way too many temptation for a night… or for a life.

Sebastian was about to make a comment about it, but the girl's expression changed drastically as soon as she saw the wound.

The wounds in his arm weren't too deep, jut shallow cuts made by the sphere and that might need some stiches. Blood ran down his arm and despite not being the prettiest image, it was nothing compared to his stomach, where the spear had reached, making a deep hole below his ribs. It wasn't a clean cut, it looked as if the spear had torn his skin.

As soon as he saw it, Susanna's face completely changed. She turned pale and worry showed in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, but… the truth is that I don't know how fast demons heal, or how they do it. I don't know the consequences of a wound made with that spear either. With It was like a normal human with William, but I don't know what to do with you…" her voice tone was evidently preoccupied and even her eyes looked a little shiny, as if she was holding back some tears.

"Milady, please don't waste those kind words with me, I'm not…" he said with his usual butler's etiquette, but he was interrupted by her.

"Forget about the damn butler's roll for an instant, I'm being serious with you" there was silence for an instant and Sebastian studied her expression.

This times, it was her who took him by surprise, and not because she was worried about him, but because it was a genuine, and it made obvious the fact of her being very well aware of his butler mask; a roll he played just to get what he wanted, and even after knowing it, she worried about him; for a demon who wouldn't hesitate on taking her soul and take away any chances of salvation and who just a moment before enjoyed teasing her and making her nervous, a being who naturally didn't have good intentions and was compelled by contract…. A deal that just a few seconds before, he though having under control.

What kind of person was Susanna really?

 _ **Author's notes:**_

 _ **Hello everyone!**_

 _ **I'm really sorry for the late update. At first, FFnet was down, so I couldn't upload this chapter, and then I had to go through a very painful surgery. I'm still convalescing and I'll be like this for a month… but anyways, here's the update and we'll go back to normal starting next week.**_

 _ **By the way, when I wrote that part when Susanna took off Sebastian's shirt I remembered this "photoshop" scene from crazy, stupid love movie with Ryan Gosling. It's in youtube if you want to check it out.**_

 _ **And how about the tension between Susanna and William? Gosh! He's starting to feel something… I enjoy writing those scenes!**_

 _ **Take care and read you next week!**_


	13. Closeness

**Chapter 13. Closeness**

Susanna became very worried after seeing her butler's wound, and it showed in her expression. It wasn't like she got easily scared with blood, but a cut deep as that would impress anyone and didn't even want to think about how painful it should be.

"How long would it take to heal under normal circumstances?" her brow frowned and her lips tightened.

"A couple hours" his response was cold; he didn't want his discomposure to show and wondered what was really going on inside the girl's mind "in this case, it will take a couple days if I focus my full power on it; faster than a human, but that spear is a powerful instrument"

"Alright then… I'll put on some swaps on and… you focus on healing. We'll talk about serious matter later" her voice was serious and she avoided the demon's eyes as she started to clean the blood in his arm "I wonder if a painkiller would work on you…"

There was no answer. Sebastian remained silent, watching her as she took care of his wounds with that determination she showed every time she took things seriously. He wondered what she really thought about him and how he fit in her plans, which were often considered by him, but only as a mean to take possession of her soul; Susanna's agenda was only one more thing to take into account in the whole scheme and he never stopped to consider that perhaps she looked at things differently; that maybe she considered him differently than his other contractors, who saw him only as a demon under their disposal and didn't hesitate on take advantage of it. She took that matter as an advantage… one of many, but didn't push him to his limits.

In that moment, he thought that she really saw him as the threatening and vicious demon he really was and respected him.

In that case, maybe he could consider her differently, worthy of his reckoning and seeing her as an equal in the strategy game; she definitely did and acted as such.

"This could hurt a little... or a lot, William complained because of the alcohol, so…" she took a cotton with alcohol and as soon as it touched Sebastian's skin, his face showed a gesture of pain "hurts, right?" she slightly smiled "I bet it's new for you to feel like a human and let me guess… a cut from that spear can take way some of immortality, doesn't it?... some kind of special wound"

He looked at her again, with distrust in his eyes. He was under big pain, different from what he was used in his human form, but on the other hand, she wasn't taking any pleasure on hurting him, nor trying to make it more painful. At certain point, he felt vulnerable and such feeling revolted him.

She as sure Sebastian was staring at her, with his shiny demon eyes, piercing, defensive, so she tried as hard as she could to avoid his gaze and focus in her task.

The atmosphere between them was tense and none of them said a word for a while, until his wounds were completely clean and Susanna threw the cottons to the garbage. Then she took a couple swaps from the medical kit.

"We better put some bandage in these wounds. Sit down straight, please" she took the swaps and a bandage "does it hurt a lot?" Sebastian looked at her and finally their eyes met, although only for an instant and before she could start patching him, he softly took his hand. That was his first answer after the uncomfortable silence moments before.

"Thank you…" was the only thing he said and then he left her finish, but the look on his face and expression in his eyes would be something Susanna would never forget… much less the true meaning behind it.

She was about to finish with the last bandage when Fer opened the door, carrying a small suitcase, like a doctor's.

"How are you? Sebastian looked pretty bad, I thought he was bleeding out too much… but apparently it wasn't a hemorrhage" he approached them.

"Just some cuts, nothing to worry about" the demon's attitude change was radical. He was on his butler roll again.

"I suppose so, although I would have liked to take a look to those wounds to make sure everything as alright" he smiled and looked at his suitcase "sorry for taking so long. Your father called a couple minutes ago, Miss. I told him you would call him back" of course he meant her adoptive father "I didn't mention anything about today"

"Thanks… do you know how to take care of wounds?" she leaned back in one of the couches.

"I had to learn while I was in the MI6. I faced many dangers and I learned how to take care of myself and my partners, so… what happened to your leg?!" he asked as soon as he saw Susanna's bloody trousers and William's necktie tied to her leg.

"It's a bullet wound" Sebastian answered "it wouldn't be prudent if we called the police… could you do something about it? I'm afraid I won't be able to do it" the butler said from the other couch, with an expression of tiredness that wasn't usual in him.

"Of course… so, it's a bullet then?" Fer smiled and approached the girl "lucky that I still have all the necessary stuff. Lay down, please. I will have to cut the trouser"

"I it painful?" the butler asked.

"It hurts, but not too much. I had a morphine shot in the car, so…" she shyly smiled and Sebastian became serious again. Until that moment, he wasn't conscious about it. Even with the morphine, it wasn't possible she was that calm. Perhaps it was because of the adrenaline still running through her veins, or a secondary effect to the exposition to the demons and Schneider's powers.

"It looks like the morphine's effect is still on, but I'm going to put some anesthesia just in case" and then Fer started the process of cleaning the wound and put some stiches. The bullet wasn't inside her leg, it was just a superficial injury, but it could be painful because of the position here it was located. The process lasted around an hour, and Fer knew exactly what he was doing; he had a lot of experience, but in the last couple minutes the anesthesia effect was gone, as well as the adrenaline inside Susanna's veins so she managed to drown her painful screams by biting a towel Abby had brought minutes before.

That night had been a victory for Susanna, but it was as exhausting as painful in every way. More doubts came up and she was now able to see the complete reach of her vengeance, as well as the consequences. A bullet injury and her butler's wounds would remind her that no one was safe. Even the shinigamis were badly injured. She was getting into something really dangerous.

Days later, the Schneider episode was gone; the guy was dead and Susanna had in her hands all the necessary to keep on with her plans. There were just three more men that would have to disappear, and it was just a matter of time before she could find them, but since she came back from the warehouse, she hadn't done anything to move on. She had passed the last two days locked in her room and even though it didn't seem strange at first because of her injury, Sebastian started to suspect there was something else that kept her isolated.

"Milady?" a male voice came from the other side of the door "Are you feeling well? May I come in?" in the past few days, his approaches towards her were very few. Sebastian's wound had just healed and Abby took care of the house while he was injured, hence she was pretty much the only person who had seen Susanna.

"Come on in" Susanna's voice was weak. She was lying in the bed, snuggling and facing one of the windows. She had been crying, but her tears were already dried. The only remaining was the tiring sadness in her back, knowing what kind of destiny awaited her and being conscious about the life she had lost; nostalgia, longing and vulnerability. Not to mention the blood in her hands. Up until that moment, she had killed to men in cold blood and the collateral damages increased the number; God only knew how many people were inside that container box that exploded in the warehouse.

"You've been here all day and only went down to have breakfast and call your adoptive father. Are you alright?" the butler kindly asked after seeing the empty bottles of tequila and rum in the floor.

"No. I'm sick of everything. But it's my fault that I'm like this. I took full responsibility to finish them, sold my soul and left everything behind. Nothing will ever be the same and I feel dirty…" her voice as bitter "and before all this happened, I could speak with my friends or my family. Now I have to lie to my dad every time I speak with him. Make him think that I'm happy and memories don't yell at me inside my head every minute" her voice was cut and after a pause she kept saying "I can't silence them. I need…"

And then she felt something in the other side of the bed and unexpectedly Sebastian laid behind her body, embracing her. His warmth filling her, as well as his attractive scent surrounding her. As this a gesture of endearment? Where did it come from?

"…A hug…" the demon said in soft voice, as if he was completing the phrase she started.

"Thanks" she barely said and tears were about to come out. After a couple minutes she closed her eyes, like expecting everything to go away and she didn't know is she was in a shallow sleep or dreaming, but the butler's embrace comforted her; exactly what and how she needed.

Several minutes passed and she was more conscious of her surroundings, not because she wanted to, but because Sebastian's hand moved from her arm to her torso and then to her waist, drawing small circles in her hips and sending sensual shivers through her body. He kept doing that for a couple instants and then stopped, embracing her again, with his arm around her. When she felt that, she took his hand and gently clenching it. The girl thought that at least for a while, forgetting that he was a demon could bring her some peace, and give in to her inner cravings at least for a while.

Little by little the lightning in the room became smoother. The sun was about to set and everything seemed blue. Susanna didn't know how much time had passed before she could say anything. Not that she cared about it.

"How's your wound?" her voice sounded tired.

"Today it's completely healed" he answered with a casual tone, but immediately remembered the thoughts he had before and knew he was stepping in unknown territory, not yet knowing if it was good or bad for his interests, but his demon nature made him loose himself to the moment "I'm sorry for not being a good butler during the last couple days"

Sebastian's soft voice roared in the girl's ears, she could almost feel him whispering behind her, causing her skin to feel goosebumps as his cologne made her heart beat faster. Her subconscious made her sigh, but when she noticed it, her body tensed and the demon could feel it.

"That spear… made you feel like a mortal, right?" she decided to make conversation to not feel like the situation as getting out of her hands. There was silence after the question, which was enough answer "and despite it, I don't think you're capable of knowing how we humans really feel"

"I'm a demon, I'll never could" none of them said anything else for a couple instants, and that quietude felt like a cold air breeze that made her more alert and a chill travelled down her spine, caused by Sebastian's words in her ears, like a whisper, making her more conscious of the position they were "but as your butler…" he didn't finish the sentence because he was interrupted.

"Shh… don't speak" she took off his white glove and held his hand, this time feeling his skin under hers, making the moment more intimate.

And so, they remained like that for a while longer, until she felt asleep and some hours later he left her side, very careful to not wake her up or bother her in any way. He couldn't do anything else for the moment; because of her state and because of his on plans, which were still under development.

When Susanna woke up, the demon was already gone. The only thing she could find in her room was darkness and the shadows from the furniture cause by the moonlight. She stood up with laziness ad entered the bathroom to wash her face and then started to check the papers in her night stand, the same documents she got from Schneider.

She read them carefully, but even with the new information and the possibility of planning a strategy that would get her closer to her goal, her head couldn't stop thinking about how attached she was getting to Sebastian; being close to anyone could hurt her very bad, but not only that. Her defensive reflexes appeared as well and they weren't limited to the emotional part. Despite of knowing that, her days were counted, she was completely conscious that she shouldn't strengthen ties with her butler, for he was, after all, a demon; a vile and manipulative creature, willing to do anything to reach his goals, which so far Susanna knew only one: getting her soul. It wasn't a small thing, but she was sure that it wasn't the only thing he was after. A hunch told her that he wouldn't stop there and she was way too frightened to realize that she as starting to fall in a complex web. More elaborated that any of her plans.

The next day seemed to be pretty normal in the shinigami realm, but stress and tension could be felt in the atmosphere. Many workers ran through and along the halls with more hurry than usual. Those in charge of the soul collection were overload with work because some of them had been assigned by the higher ups to administrative tasks, paperwork and audits. Even the secretaries, who usually had the less stressing job seemed worried and grumpy.

"Sempai, have you finished with those cinematic records?" a blond young man appeared in the entrance of the cubicle"

"This is the last one, but I need a break. This working rhythm won't do my any good. Look! I have dark circles under my eyes and my beauty will be ruined!" Grell complained as he took a small mirror out of his desk "what would Sebas-chan say if he saw me like this?"

"I have no idea…" he replied as he saw his partner with incredulity "by the way, William is looking for us. I don't know why, thou. After that horrible audit with the higher ups, I'm not in the mood for another interrogatory… and I've worked overtime the whole week, so I'm not happy at all" Ronald sighed and sat in a chair behind Grell's seat.

"I know. Will's been working more than usual, which is a lot already" the redhead said with a serious attitude but that changed soon as he blushed "the poor thing hasn't even gone back home to sleep in the last two days. Perhaps a shoulder massage could help…"

"I don't know. I don't think he's the type for those… ah! Sir… eh… I came here looking for Sutcliff sempai and… we were just about to go to your office" said the young shinigami, very worried after seeing William with a sour look on his face in the cubicle entrance. He looked as serious as always but the dark circles under his eyes and his pale skin showed how tired he was.

"Mr. Knox, I believe I told you it was urgent to see the both of you in my office" he sounded annoyed "honestly… we are already understaffed and these blithering numpties are my only option…" he said to himself "come with me" he headed to his office and the other two shinigamis followed him, not making any comment on their way there, only looking at the craziness the dispatch was in that moment.

Once they were inside William's office, they noticed the peculiar smell of coffee that filled the air. It was true what Grell had said: the Supervisor hadn't slept in almost two days and his usually very tidy work place as now filled with documents, cinematic records, unfinished paperwork and even some consult books.

"Have a seat" the boss sat in his chair and adjusted his glasses "as you already know, the imbalance with the soul numbers has been increasing little by little on the past years. Up until now, the information we had, was that Kraig Schneider was the responsible for this. But that is not the case. Not at all"

"He isn't?" Ronald interrupted. He was surprised after hearing that information "how…?"

"If you would let me finish, Mr. Knox…"he said with displeasure and impatience "Kraig Schneider did have something to do with those lost souls, but not just him. A couple weeks ago, the higher ups put mi in charge of the investigation regarding those souls. At first we thought it was the result of demons feeding, but after an extenuated research, we could belie it"

"You mean that…?" Grell had an alarmed but serious attitude, almost threatening after hearing the news "it's not possible for a soul to disappear just like that, much less hundreds of them, unless…"

"That is correct" William made a small pause and took off his glasses on an evident gesture of tiredness as he massaged his nose bridge "apparently, what was a theoretically possible, has started to take place. They are no demons the ones who are making the souls disappear; someone else is sending them the souls, and the reasons are still unknown for us"

"A human sending souls to the demons?" Ronald was very surprised his boss said that.

"We have information about some other subjects involved in this matter" he put some photographs on his desk "Kraig Schneider, whose soud was collected a few days ago. Ricardo Soler, Aidan Crawford, Demian Janssens-Guillot and Ivan Reznik"

"Ivan Reznik! I collected his soul a month ago" the blond recognized the file.

"That's correct, that man who was murdered by Susanna Serafer, who conveniently is descendant of Marco Serafer, one of the characters implied in that… soul _smuggling_ at the beginning of 1900's"

"But… is she part of all this?" Ronald seemed confused.

"She is, but I couldn't say if her action would benefit or affect us. She killed Reznik, after all, and she is going after the others" there was a small pause and then the Supervisor continued explaining with a solemn voice "as the one in charge of this investigation, I will appoint you two as part of it. I need shinigamis that are related to this matter and know the people implied in them, so I chose you. It is of high importance that we closely watch Susanna and that… tosser she has as butler"

"Sebas-chan!" the redhead yelled very excited.

"Grell Sutcliff… if for any reason I find out that you are not doing your job, or you are making unnecessary approaches, you will be punished"

"Understood!"

"And Mr. Know, try not to induce Miss Serafer to that intoxicated state from last time. We need her to cooperate willingly"

"I think you could easily take care of that…" the young reaper said casually implying a couple of things.

"What did you say?" William was angry.

"Nothing, nothing… it's just that… it looks like you two get along very well and…" he immediately regretted saying that "sure! I'll be as discreet as I can"

"Very well. Let's start with the plans" he said after glaring at him and then started explaining the notes on his book, with precise details of what they would have to do, people they would have to watch and connections between them.

Meanwhile in the Serafer residence, Susanna walked towards the kitchen, using a cane so her leg wouldn't hurt so much because of the bullet wound. She knew her butler would be somewhere around the house, but she met Fer in the way.

"Are you feeling better, Miss?"

"Hi, Fer. Yeah, much better. Good thing you have experience with these kind of injuries"

"I agree. You'll be as good as new in one or two weeks" the blond smiled but them he became thoughtful "although Sebastian seems to be doing just fine… way too fine considering the wound he got"

"Oh… yeah…" she tried to think of an excuse for his _miraculous_ recovery, but before she could say anything, the butler appeared right behind her.

"Well, you see, Fer what kind of butler would I be is I showed pain or complained? That doesn't fit the aesthetics"

"Perhaps you're right, but don't push yourself too hard. It's not like you're immortal" Fer smiled again. He wasn't aware of Sebastian's true identity.

"Of course, I'm only one hell of a butler" he answered with a peculiar tone and Fer went out to the garden with a smile in his face.

"Hell yeah…" she crossed her arms and leaned in one of the couches, resting her leg.

"Milady?" the demon sided his head, waiting for the girl's next words.

"We need to talk… in private" a serious look in her eyes as she made sure there was no one else around.

"After you…" Sebastian walked towards the stairs and made a gesture with his hand.

Susanna went up the stairs and then headed towards the studio. She walked slowly to avoid pain in her leg, wishing she could go faster and run away from the butler's persistent look, following her perhaps too close.

Once they were in the studios she sat in the desk chair, resting at last and then took a couple painkillers from the desk drawer and was about to swallow them with the help of a glass of whiskey.

"If I may say it, pills and alcohol don't go well together, Miss" the butler tried to persuade her, but it was too late. A disapproval look appears in his face.

"I know, but as long as we have the contract, I can't die, right?" her voice was rather monotone; it wasn't a good day for her and the glass with alcohol in her hand was prove of it.

"That is correct, but it's not guarantee of a life without pain or complications, as I'm sure you've already noticed" he got closer to her chair and pointed at her wounded leg, leaning a little towards her.

"And what if I make it an order?" her attitude was defying in every way, and Sebastian answered by putting both arms in the back of the chair, cornering her.

"Your wishes are my command…" the demon's voice was captivating and soft as it slid through Susana's ears, her eyes fixed on his, defiant "…but apparently those self-destructive behaviors are part of something else entirely" he moved away from her and looked through the window while playing with a paperweight he took from the desk

"Oh, really?" there was some irony in her voice.

"There is a pattern and you know it. Every time you kill one of those men the same thing happens. For a couple days you give in to depression and then try to fight it with _distractors_. Since that first time when you violently reacted after hearing those words in Latin, I knew there was something odd. Fer confirmed it later, so I made some research. It is my duty as your butler to put your wellbeing as my priority.

"Are you going to profile me now?" she laughed incredulous.

"Of course not. I've already done that" he looked at her over his shoulder and continued speaking, not letting her object "but don't worry. As I told you a while ago, in any way you are exquisite and attractive to me. That little analysis just encouraged my…" he looked at her with his demon, red and threatening eyes "my desires…" he played again with the paperweight, taking his eyes off her after fulfilling his purpose: prove that he was the one in control.

"Then, what were you researching?" her tone was cold.

"I suppose you've heard about posttraumatic stress disorder" she nodded "that's exactly what you have. Everything started when you were kidnapped and those words in Latin trigger that violent frenzy. As a matter of fact, it is not so hard to trigger it. Any smell, image, sound or words could…"

"Cause it…"

"That's right. But don't worry, that is quite a common thing among humans, especially after a traumatic experience, and I have to admit that you've been coping just fine. It could be worse, considering the circumstances" he made a small pause and the contract seal felt warmer in Susanna's neck "actually, I'm surprised you limit yourself to drinking. Having the possibilities and means you do, you could fall into other kind of activities" the butler widely smiled, not showing his sharp teeth and putting his kindest face; so kind it seemed that he as mocking.

"Are you justifying me, or trying to make me fall into temptation?"

"Neither of them, for now. I just want you to be completely conscious of what you're doing, and if I ever have to take you to the hospital for a stomach pumping because you had too many pills and alcohol, I will do it without remorse, and all the consequences it would bring"

"Deal… but this is an order: you shall never use those Latin words against me…" her face became dark, for she now knew her emotional rollercoaster was somehow normal after a traumatic experience, but she felt nostalgic and wanted to look for comfort but Sebastian took her out of her thoughts.

"Understood" he bowed "and changing the subject… I trust you read those documents we got from the warehouse"

"I did. Maps, schedules and locations. Many things are in code and the only on I understand is the nitroglycerine. But they mention Ricardo Soler and Aidan Crawford, so we are in the right track"

"If I recall correctly, those shipments come from different countries, don't they?"

"Yes… China, Russia, Morocco, Congo, Nigeria… and there are some other shipments sent to Afghanistan, Algeria, and Sudan…. Do you think it's drug trafficking?"

"It's possible, but that wouldn't bet related to the fallen angel"

"Or the Gungnir spear" they both were thoughtful "what the hell were those demons doing with Odin's spear?... Odin, the Nord god! This is way too confusing. I mean, what's next? Flying dragons, zombies… Thor?... well, if it's Thor from the movie, I wouldn't oppose actually, although I prefer Loki…" the butler raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms as she continued thinking out loud "but you know? It would be nice to ride a Pegasus. I don't like heights, but it's still a good opportunity. On the other hand, meeting Medusa or a Minotaur wouldn't be so…"

"Mythology and legends have something of true in them… but I'm sure the flying pony, the sculptress harpy or those lame Hollywood attempts to show a god, couldn't be farther from the truth, it such truth ever existed" he sounded annoyed.

"If I've learned something, is that anything is possible… Faust rings a bell?" she drank from her whiskey glass.

"I'm afraid that is quite different…" he tried to explain "we…"

"Or shinigamis?... whatever it is, that spear could have killed you and, despite how powerful it might be, it's only a weapon" Sebastian remained silent and a grim look appeared on his face "I don't even want to think about how would it be to fight the fallen angel. We have to finish with those remaining idiots and avoid… they bring him back or make the final linkage"

"That is the part of the deal that I have to take care of, isn't it?" the demon said solemnly, putting his right hand on his chest "and so I will" she smiled, but there wasn't happiness behind the gesture, only a slight feeling of bitterness and anger

"Is it true that the spear is in hands of our green eyed little friends?"

"That is correct, but I wouldn't call them our friends" he made a pause "after we…" he remembered the grim images of the fight against the Type D demons and the expression in Ronald's face after seeing his true demon form "finished with them, they confiscated it"

"Good. Then we won't have to worry about it. It's in good hands and now that I think about it, perhaps they could give us some information and…"

"I highly doubt they would cooperate with us. We better look by ourselves. Besides, I'm very capable of finding the whereabouts of Mr. Soler and Crawford."

"Sebastian, we have locations from all over the world. It wouldn't be so practical to search in each one of them"

"My thoughts exactly, but there are some addresses here in London. Offices mostly. I could take a look at them and question the people named in the documents…"

"I want a picture of Ricardo Soler, Aidan Crawford and that Janssens-Guillot guy, whose complete name is still unknown. They hide it so well… the only clue I could find in the papers were the initials _DJG_ "

"Perhaps Fer could help us with that. He still has access to MI6 files"

"Good. And you take care of those offices. See if there is anyone suspicious or out of place, but don't rush into anything. We don't know what exactly do they want and everything is getting more dangerous. We better be prepared" Susanna remained thoughtful, considering all the recent events and worrying for what was behind all that, but she got suddenly distracted after noticing Sebastian was still there, standing next to her desk"

"Weren't you going to check those locations?" she asked and the butler showed again that mocking grin, without moving.

"I'm afraid you forgot how to ask for anything…"

"Sebastian… it's a fucking order! I don't know what the hell are you playing at, but I'm getting tired. I thought you had a little common sense.

"I prefer listening to you saying those words, Miss. That makes things more… clear" he bowed and left the studio, leaving the girl with an uneasy feeling.

Susanna remained in the studio, reading the papers again. Schedules and a list of things that didn't make much sense. Nitroglycerine was one of those things those men smuggled, but she was sure there was something else. Drug trafficking could be useful to get continuous and high incomes, but they couldn't work only in that area. Besides, there was the matter of those people in the containers.

The images of that night returned to her head. They were raw and real, even the image of those demons fighting against the shinigamis and her butler were as vivid as the piercing pain in her leg he the bullet reached.

She thought for a moment and then took a world map from one of the desk drawers and put it in the floor, which gave her a general view of the international geography. Then she took the documents and some markers to color the locations.

Those points were all around the world and didn't seem to have pattern. Symbolism was an important part of all that, but even after joining the points and places it didn't seem to form a figure or something specific. She couldn't reach any conclusions, even after remembering all her studies in mythology and underground activities, so she decided to change the point of view and focused in the Gungnir spear.

She went down to the basement, where many books from her ancestors were stored. It was a dark and cold, one of those places where a horrible monster or an assassin would kill her if she was in a horror movie, but she wasn't scare of those things anymore. She had seen many strange stuff and, despite of seeing those black shadows following her, they didn't mean any harm for her; if her life were at risk, Sebastian would appear to save her. She was completely sure about it.

The basement was filled with old boxes and bookcases, where some books in ancient Nordic could be found. She couldn't understand it, so she looked for something in English or her native language perhaps, although that would be too much asking… eventually she found one of her grandfather's journal. It was written in English, so she immediately looked for the word "Gungnir". After a while, she found something interesting. It was a page where some explanation about the spear was written.

"The Gungnir spear, that weapon of Odin who was given by Loki after a terrible mischief. According to legends, anyone who held it would have Odin's blessing in their battles."

Most of the text couldn't be read. Humidity had ruined part of it, but Susanna kept looking for something useful and then something caught her attention. It was a strange symbol which appeared many times in the book. It was some kind of X, but with mall squares in the central vertex. She took a pencil and drew it in a paper. Then she continued reading the books.

There were many writings and books about witchcraft, spells, symbolism and even runes. She took a look at a rune chart, where she found the same X she saw before. It was the rune "Gar" and just below it, an inscription.

" _Gar, with a mute sound. IS the white rune, associated with Odin and it's marked in the Gungnir's spear. It the rune of mystery. Anything associated with it, it's not for the human knowledge, or anyone's. Sometimes it refers to destiny and to not doubt about decisions made."_

Immediately, Susanna felt a chill down her spine, as well as goosebumps. That couldn't mean anything good. The spear was a dangerous instrument which had to be feared. Hence the shinigamis' reaction, as well as Sebastian's when they saw it. The feeling of impotence invaded her and for the first time, she thought he didn't have any choice; that she was part of a bigger scheme. She was conscious of having a destiny, but she ran from it, and despite her soul being damned from the beginning, she would decide how to leave this world. Sebastian would be the one getting her soul and giving her the final doom, but… what if it wasn't?... what if everything had been planned from the beginning? Would she be destined to end with all those men's pretensions; to interrupt the final linkage, or would she be promoting it?

What was the final linkage exactly? What was is supposed to link?... with a dead God, murdered by men, a destiny that was unavoidable and a fallen angel that seemed to be the evil incarnated, even worse than Sebastian, the future didn't seem so bright.

Maybe the answers were somewhere else. Those writings had only empty information, but still, they were a guide and there was a place named Djürgarden that appeared in different places of the book and documents. That was the Serafer family original hometown. Researching more about that place could be a good idea.

But even after discovering that information many doubts came up. How did they find Odin's spear, is according to mythology it had been destroyed? Evidently it wasn't, and at certain point it feel in the hands of those demons, which must have been somehow related to Kraig Schneider. They weren't linked by a contract, because his soul was reaped by William. She saw it with her own eyes. It might be related to that purple and stinky fluid he threw to the floor.

She consulted another book with writings in antique Aramean and some other languages she didn't know, and something deep inside told her she shouldn't read them; there were invocations and spells everywhere and she already had enough with one demon to deal with another or something worse, especially if it was one of those type D.

A couple hours later she decided to leave it like that and have some dinner, relax a little. It was a lot of information to assimilate and everything left her with a very unpleasant feeling, as if something bad would happen, making her hands sweaty. It was better to wait until Sebastian returned so she could get more details.

 _ **Hey guys!**_

 _ **How you doing? I'm going to make some changed in the updates of the fanfic. From now on, I will update every two weeks. This is mainly because I have a great surprise for you, and I need time to write and translate all that. Don't worry, the story will continue. Actually I already have most of if written, but it's just the final part that I'm struggling with, and that's part of the surprise, but in due time you'll see what this I all about.**_

 _ **Take care, and enjoy the chapter.**_


	14. Confessions and a smile

_**Note: there is a huge spoiler in this chapter, regarding kuroshitsuji manga no. 105, regarding the shingamis.**_

 **Chapter 14. Confessions and a smile.**

It was past midnight and Susanna was chilling in her room's terrace. She was alone and since the afternoon she gave the order to not be disturbed by anyone. Sebastian was still visiting those locations around London and he might even return until the next day with a report of his findings.

The girls had spent the whole day investigating about the spear and found a diary with rituals and invocations whose purposes were unknown; it would be better to consult that with her butler or someone who might know about the subject. She was close to find out what those men were up to, she knew it.

But aside of spending the whole day researching, it hadn't been a good day for her. She was going through one of those episodes of depression she got once in a while; now she knew the reason and felt powerless about it. She repeated herself every day that she had to fight to end with all those things that marked her doomed life. She didn't just have to do it; she wanted to, but some days it was way too overwhelming for her and wished to have a day for herself, with the company of her mp3, her room's darkness and a bottle of whiskey or rum; to spend the afternoon crying and punching the pillows and the walls to take it all out of her chest, which wouldn't take her anywhere but would at least comfort her. Nevertheless, it wasn't time for it. She had to hurry before something else happened. She had the feeling that something was about to happen, and it gave her chills, so the fastest she could understand what she was facing, the better.

Susanna was now, more than ever, conscious about the fact that she lost her family in unusual, tragic and violent conditions, even before she could meet them, her life completely changed and she had at least two times miraculously escaped death; a death caused by a mysterious past which chased her, not to mention that she gave up her soul without thinking it through.

She would get revenge in exchange of her own salvation; in exchange of a life after death. Such opportunity wasn't hers anymore and it as a huge burden. She was trapped in a dead end, next with a demon by her side.

She couldn't change anything, but at least a bottle of whiskey would make her forget for a while. She was sitting in one of the couches of the terrace, listening to a melancholic blues disc as she drank from the glass in her right hand, watching the stars as if nothing else was important in the world, and suddenly a male voice coming from the balcony rail was heard.

"Honestly… I shouldn't have to tell you that drinking too much alcohol could be bad for you"

"Could I die for this?" Susanna answered with sarcasm after recognizing the voice.

"Not for now. But I doubt you'd enjoy that sensation humans call hangover" he said as if he was scolding the girl.

"Oh, believe me, there are many better pleasurable sensations than that…" she had a flirty smile and drank from her glass, ignoring William's astonished reaction. After a pause she continued "it's horrible. And you know something? Sometimes I think that hell is only a state of perpetual hangover, without the alcohol or a party before it, running under the sun, without shoes and over burning sand"

"What a childish idea" William had a disapproval gesture in his face as he fixed his glasses.

"And I suppose is very mature to argue with someone who's drunk?"

"I've lived long enough to know that you still have consciousness of your acts…" he looked at her eyes and notices an unusual smile "alright, perhaps not complete consciousness, but at least you know what you're doing"

"That's true. I'm not drunk, just more social than usual, so please, take a sit and tell me, how is your arm injury going?"

"Much better, thank you" he sat in the couch in front of her. The night was cool and nice, so he felt comfortable.

"I'm happy to hear it… I was worried about you, but something told me I shouldn't be. Still, I didn't have a way to contact you, so…" he took another sip from her glass.

"I appreciate your concern" William cleared his throat to vanish that strange sensation in his mouth; a strange impulse to move the commissure of his lips… a smile? "I couldn't say the healing process was enjoyable, but everything is fine now. And you?... how are you doing?"

"I've been better…" she looked at his eyes, only to find that inquisitive look that studied he moves and gave her goosebumps "today wasn't a good day for me and…" Susanna laughed to herself "and now I'm about to vent my problems with a shinigami… this world is crazy"

"It's evident that you're not feeling well and, based on what I know of you, I believe you have reasons to feel that way. I don't pretend say that I know you completely or the reasons for your acts. I'm not human, after all" he remembered the discussion they had a while ago.

"I suppose you have my information in your files. Don't worry, that only makes you a stalker" she laughed and got closer to the table between them "I'm flattered…" she drank again from her glass and smiled at the reaper.

"To be honest… I'm very curious about you and I would like to know something" he made a pause and then looked straight at her eyes, trying to find the right words to not sound so cold "there is something I don't understand… why?" he fixed his glasses compulsively "why did you sold your soul to a demon?"

"And you have to ask me that today…" she glared at him, but as soon as she noticed his serious and sincere expression on William's face, her attitude changed and remained silent for an instant, putting her ideas in order and looking at the floor "I thought I didn't have another choice. I didn't want to die, nor to pass through… what was about to happen. I didn't want things to remain just like that..." she kept looking at the floor "I know it doesn't justify my acts, but I was afraid, I felt disgusted and repulsion for what was happening and… I was about to be raped, murdered and all because of a family legacy I didn't even knew" her voice broke and suddenly she felt William's hand in her shoulder. The shinigami was now sitting next to her, looking at her with his intense green eyes.

"I will never justify it" his voice was emotionless, but his gaze said something different "but now I understand a little better the reason why humans make those contracts. Despair could corner you into extreme measures" he remained silent next to Susanna, who didn't understand why, but the truth was that, a gesture like that, coming from him, as more than an indicative of sympathy and kindness "… it would have been a good thing to meet you if your soul wasn't condemned"

"Maybe if it wasn't we wouldn't have met. Things happen for a reason" he nodded and relaxed as he leant on the couch; something unusual in him "would you join me with a glass of whiskey?"

"A drink sounds pretty good in this moment" his glance softened as Susanna entered the room to take a glass and then she came back, adding some ice and pouring the amber liquid into it. Then she handed it to the shinigami "thank you, Susanna" he said her name in a special way and she enjoyed the sound as he pronounced it. It was the first time he did it like that, with no formality and while they friendly talked, so she smiled at him; a grin that was somewhere between niceness and flirt, perhaps encouraged by the alcohol, or maybe because of the attraction she felt towards him.

"And so… what brings you here? I seriously doubt Mr. William T. Spears had come only to question my drinking habits or my deals with a demon"

"No, I didn't come for that, and I would appreciate you didn't mention that vermin… these last week has been a nightmare at the Dispatch, and to make things worse, we are understaffed, so I came to reap a soul. One of your neighbors' of course… Ms. Anderson"

"Oh, what a shame. She was a lovely person…" she said with melancholy, not because she was close to her, but because he knew what death could mean for anyone.

"Yes, she was, and her soul is in good hands. She is in a better place now" why has he consoling her? Why was he giving her explanations of his job?

"I know, but even after hearing it from you, I'm afraid it won't be comfort enough for her family" Susanna looked at her glass with sad eyes and then drank the remaining liquid "it should be very practical and even comfortable to not feel anything about death… or being immune to loss…" her eyes wandered in the distance, where the city mixed with artificial lights and the shining stars.

"We shinigamis are not insensitive, we only do our job by taking those souls, but we feel…" he looked at the garden and clenched his fist "and we do it with intensively… even if it's the least appropriate thing to do…."

"Feelings are never appropriate and they are always intense" they both remained quiet for a while, exchanging glances unstill she gathered courage to ask "you said something just now, that despair could corner you into extreme measures, but it sounded as… as if you have gone through something similar" before answering the shingiami drank from his glass and took a deep breath.

"Susanna, you are aware of your situation being different from other people. You are in contact with forces that humans could only imagine with fantasy tales and it all has a price" she nodded "what I'm about to tell you will amplify your vision about shinigamis, and despite not being a secret, only a few talk about it, and I doubt that filthy creature had told you anything about it so…"

"What do you mean?" she seemed worried.

"We shinigamis are created when someone commits suicide. This is the punishment for those souls who renounce the opportunity of salvation; the opportunity to live, and decide to put an end to all that, led by different situations"

"Oh Will… I had no idea" she was very shocked, her eyes were wide open and speechless.

Susanna never imagined William committing suicide. He seemed so serious, mature and self-assured, that it was hard to picture him doing something like that, so she suddenly felt a tremendous need to comfort the man next to her. What could possibly made him do something like that?... and what a cruel penitence he had to deal with for God know how many years, or even centuries. Maybe that's why the idea of someone selling his soul was repulsive for him.

Of course, the punishment for giving up salvation could only be as atrocious as the sin itself. For an instant, she thought that maybe they weren't so different, but the idea was interrupted by William's voice.

"That was a long time ago. I don't even remember how it was like to be a human" he looked at his hand moving the glass with whiskey, trying to recall his human life "… it's been more than two hundred years…"

"Two centuries is a long time" she looked at his serious expression, her eyes going directly to his almost perfect nose, just a little upturned in the tip and his hair cut that made her look so formal. As a mortal, he shouldn't have been older than 32 years. She wondered if his eyes were also green when he was a human, and if he was as businesslike as now "when was the last time you smiled?"

Immediately, William looked at her astounded for the question; from every question she could have made, his smile was the first thing she thought, what on earth was going on inside Susanna's mind?

"Is that a serious question?"

"Yes. I know it's hard to picture it, but when I look at you, I can't help but thinking that you haven't smiled in those 200 years"

"Maybe you're right, but I don't think it's been that long…" he thought for an instant "has it…?"

"In that case, I hope someday Mr. Supervisor could delight me with one of his smiles. Even if it's only for my birthday" she looked at him I the eye, as he raised an eyebrow, outlining what looked like a tiny smile, which she noticed right away "there you go! I knew you'd have a charming smile" she immediately thought that, maybe her comment was too forward. She didn't want to importunate him or sound to obvious when saying she liked him, although in the end, that's what it was all about and William's answer left her almost speechless.

"If I recall correctly, Miss Serafer, you said I'd look… how was it?" he frowned and looked at the sky "better looking and very hot?... I believe those were your exact words"

"And you are throwing it in my face now?" she blushed and a big grin appeared in her face, and he replied to that with a smaller smile "quoting you, Mr. Spears, honestly… I didn't think you had any sense of humor"

"I have to admit that it's quite dark" he said before taking a sip from his glass.

There was a moment of silence; none of them wanted to say anything else, fearing they would ruin the moment. They were comfortable for the moment, and a big conversation wasn't needed to enjoy the starry sky. Then William looked at her for an instant and little by little his expression returned to the usual one.

"You have no idea of how dangerous is this thing you're getting into"

"You are right, I have no idea. But you also said that I'm not like any other person"

"That is correct, you're making your own destiny based on that. I wonder what will be next"

"Whatever it is, It won't be easy" she looked at her lap with sadness in her eyes and then continue "but I believe we'll keep running into each other"

"You can be sure of that" his green eyes smiled at her and they kept talking for a while, until he had to leave.

The clock pointed 11:30 in the morning when Sebastian entered Susanna's room to wake her up. He carried along a glass of orange juice, a cup of coffee, a light breakfast and two aspirins. All set in a mobile table.

He entered the room and an evil smile appeared in his face as he saw the girl, sleeping in her bed. Susanna had woke up a couple hours before, only to suffer the effects of alcohol from the night before and after spending a while in the bathroom, she managed to sleep again, at least until Sebastian opened the curtain, making sure she woke up, and not in the nicest way.

"Goddammit, Sebastian! How many times have I told you to not do that! Shit…. Close that bloody curtain" she covered herself with the blankets.

"I'm terribly sorry, Milady, but it's my duty to make sure you're completely awake… did you have fun yesterday? I imagine you did, especially with the _distinguished_ visit you had at midnight… " he gave her a small hint of the reason why he woke her up like that; William visited her and he wasn't happy about it "I've got you some aspirins for the headache and coffee" he moved the table closer to her and gave her the pills. She accepted them reluctantly

"Thanks… I think I'm gonna be sick"

"It doesn't surprise me…" he said as he took an empty bottle of whiskey from the floor "at least you had some company last night" he insisted.

"With whom do I speak is not of your business… unless, of course you're jealous" he joked"

"Of course not, Milady… in the end, you'll have to fulfill your part of the contract as well" his smile was seductive "with whom you decide to spend time is not of my business, unless that someone tries to steal what is mine…"

"That remains to be seen" she said before standing up and getting I the shower.

Later that day, the butler and Susanna spoke in the studio; Sebastian gave her the report of his activities the day before. There was information about those offices he visited and even some pictures of those men she wanted to kill. Nevertheless, those individuals seemed to have vanished.

"As I mentioned, those places in the documents were real. Some of them were facades for money wash and other business like legal documentation, citizenships, imports and exports, as well as armories"

"Anything related to what we've seen so far?.. anything?" she leaned back in her chair with a confused expression.

"Only that, but those offices with legal papers were rather interesting. I found a significant number of fake Passports and identities" the Butler put some of them in the desk. They had different photos and nationalities "they might have something to do with those people in the container"

"Illegal immigrants?" she thought for a moment and her face suddenly lightened "I got it!" she took the folded map from her desk and put it in the floor so Sebastian could see it "do you see these points? Those people came from those countries! Of course… immigrants. They traffic with drugs, people… and weapons! That list of countries mention locations here guerillas take place. Nice business those sons of bitches have…

"I have to admit that is quite clever…" he said with a grin in his face, looking at the map again, as Susanna made a disapproval face.

"I almost forgot you are a freaking demon…"

"My apologies, Miss… but know that, while we have this contract, I will only do your will" he put his hand on his chest "besides, I did my share of misdeeds more than one century ago"

"I'm not sure if I want to hear about it…" she avoided his gaze and studied the map again, trying not to think about his butler's true nature "by the way, I wanted to ask you something. I was doing some research about the Gugnir spear and found several things… there's a special rune craved in that weapon"

"Gar…" his eyes became grim.

"Exactly. You already knew?" there was no answer and with an annoyed tones he said "this is an order, tell me all you know about that spear. It's vital that…"

"It's Odin's spear, marked with the rune Gar. The white rune, the one who shouldn't be named and represents a warning for any creature. It should have disappeared many years ago, or that's what the legends say"

"That's what I found yesterday… the description of the mark was a warning"

"The legends don't speak much of the spear, but any demon knows not all that is true. Actually, the spear was never destroyed, for it was only vanished to another dimension; another realm, away from the reach of anyone" he didn't speak for a moment and then looked at Susanna straight in the eyes, with a serious and piercing gaze, as if he was looking at her soul, knowing how fragile she was "the alarming thing isn't the spear itself, but the fact of someone getting it. A series of rituals, invocations and elixirs are needed for it"

"Do you know them?"

"Not all of them. It's information lost in time and…" she looked at the girl as she took out a book from her drawer.

"Maybe these are the rituals…" Sebastian took the book and read some pages.

"Yes, these are some of them" he kept reading the text written in antique Aramean and his eyes turned bright red; those demon eyes couldn't mean anything good "but none of these actually summon the spear. They only name it" he kept reading and suddenly his voice became deeper "Miss… did you read any of these pages aloud?"

"No…" she coldly responded. She knew there was something dangerous there.

"Good… it could be risky. What is written here are old rituals… old as history goes. Some of them were used to create and attract destructive beings. Some others were made to open doors, physic or spiritual portals. I'm certain they used one of these to get the spear. This should remain in a safe place, where no one could find it"

"Sebastian… you should tell me all you know. None of this is coincidence"

And then the butler started to explain many thing about her grandfather, who once told him he kept something very important in the basement, but until that moment, Sebastian thought he was talking about some other documents. Finding a journal full of rituals was the last thing someone could expect to find in that place. And not, it was more evident why they were after the Serafer family: they have the last piece to finish the final linkage, which could bring back the fallen angel and many other supernatural things. The demon's explanation was detailed, not leaving behind anything that could help Susana know something more about her grandfather.

Things were a little calmer at the Shinigami Dispatch Society offices, nevertheless, two employees seemed to be more alert and busy than usual. They spent all morning reviewing cinematic records, looking for something to help them with their investigation regarding the disorder with the souls during the past week. Ronald had dark circles under his eyes, which could be seen through his glasses, his necktie was a little more loose than usual and his hair was a mess. His day off had to be delayed because of the circumstances; he didn't seem the same as always.

As for William, he looked tired, but he didn't look as bad as the other reaper; his serious and focused expression, diligent like always seemed normal, but Ronald could swear there was something different about him. At least that's what the blond thought as he saw his boos walking to get his fourth cup of coffee of the day.

"Sir… perhaps it's the work overload doing funny things with my head, but I swear you look more relaxed than usual" said the younger reaper after seeing what he though was a tiny spark of good humor in his boss "did you sleep well last night?"

"I don't know what you're talking about" he added some sugar to his coffee "but if you want to know, yes I did. Although only for 5 hours"

"5 hours?" Ronald was surprised "but last night you only had to collect Ms. Anderson's soul" and then, he suddenly thought of something "could it be possible that… after work you went to a party? To the movies perhaps? Or a drink?" he grinned.

"Honestly, Mr. Knox, you shouldn't meddle into other people's business. And if you care so much about my private life, you should know that I was working until late" it was technically true, is talking with Susanna counted as watching her… the he walked towards his desk and sat, holding again those papers he was reading before.

"There's nothing bad on going out and have some fun once in a while" the other shinigami started explaining.

"I'm afraid our concepts of fun couldn't be more different"

"Oh, no doubt about it!" he quickly said, earning a glare from his boss "eh… what I mean is that, sometimes is good to rest our minds" his tone was serious but friendly "I know that this is some kind of penitence for… what we did" he looked at the floor "but that doesn't mean we can't think of other stuff. If we have the possibility, we should do it. In the end, the punishment it to collect souls not living a bitter and lonely life. We already went through that" the Supervisor remained thoughtful for a while "at least that's how I see it"

"Let's continue with the work" the other shinigami said after a pause. Ronald's words made him ponder for an instant, but his responsible attitude didn't let him continue for long "alright, the information we have is that Richard Serafer as born on February 9th 1939, in London. His parents were Svante and Roxanne Serafer. He studied anthropology and married Eleanor in 1963. They had a son two years after and named him Uriel, who ran away from the UK when he turned 18" William read the report aloud "according to his wife's cinematic record, it was a terrible loss from both of them and months later, after their journey through Europe, a butler dressed in black appeared in the Serafer residence" he made a pause and his voice tone changed radically, from calmed to irritated "that's when he made the contract with that plonker demon. After that, Mr. Richard decided to investigate what I suppose, as the history of his family, so he could avoid being hunted and chased. Apparently he didn't leave his butler's side, but Ms. Eleanor didn't have much contact with him, she even despised that vermin, but he kept them safe from those who tried to kill them. She knew what he was and unfortunately she died without understanding the reasons why his husband related to such individual, but one day she tried to find out and died, murdered by orders of Demian Janssens-Guillot, who followed the steps of his father and the family tradition of witchcraft. There isn't much information about Richard Serafer0s investigation and all he knew was, evidently, lost hen that beast consumed his soul"

"Do you mean that his contract with Sebastian Michaelis was fulfilled? What kind of contract did they have?"

"I don't know, and it's almost impossible to know; for obvious reasons we don't have his cinematic record. All this information was gathered with the help of other departments, as well as some reports I sent to the higher-ups"

"There is something that doesn't match… something odd" Ronald was confused and his expression showed it "if he made a deal with a demon, why didn't he ask for those people to leave him alone? That way he wouldn't have lost his son and his wife"

"That what I though. His son, Uriel Serafer died at the age of 22, just a little after Susanna was born. He and his wife did all they could to hide her and… that demon found her just found her some months ago, once Richard was dead. Why? He didn't have a reason to"

"Perhaps it was part of their contract…" Ronald scratched his head

"There are many unanswered questions, and the fact that those people have a corrupt cinematic record doesn't help us"

"You're right. We can't see all details so…" Ronald was interrupted by the office's door opening all of a sudden "Sutcliff sempai!"

"They are going on a journey!" said the redhead recovering his breath. He spent the whole day watching Susanna and Sebastian, and headed back to William's office with news of their plans.

"What are you saying?" the Supervisor didn't understand the situation.

"Sebas-chan and the girl are going to Sweden. They are looking for the other half of Richard Serafer's diary, which have many spells and rituals, among them, the one used to summon the Gungnir spear" the two shinigamis sitting in the office were almost speechless after hearing the news. Their expression reflected angst "but they won't use it. Apparently they want to stop the fallen angel from reappearing"

"Are you sure they're not going to use it?" William's voice sounded inquisitive.

"Nothing in their conversation indicated that they would. Actually, Sebas-chan seemed rather worried of what could happen…. Oh, I feel such envy! I wish he took care of me like that!"

"He has all the reason to be worried, those rituals are practically deadly for humans… to what part of Sweden are they heading?" the dark haired reaper was a little more calm.

"Djürgarden"

"Very well…" and then William turned to see the blond shinigami "Ronald, prepare your suitcases. You are going to Sweden to keep an eye on them"

"What?!" Grell immediately objected as Ronald made a happy face "I'm the one in charge of the vigilance. Besides what if something happened between…."

"Grell Sutcliff… honestly, have you forgotten out job here?... we have to analyze the situation and elaborate report about it. We cannot intervene for any reason. Not without the Higher up's authorization, understood?" Grell continued complaining "Ronald, go to Djürgarden as soon as you can, there, the Swedish branch will aid you"

"Understood, Sir!" said the younger man with enthusiasm and stood up, ready to pick up his things.

"And one more thing…" said William with a serious and deep voice, looking at his subordinate with an intense gaze "I want a complete report for each day you spend there. Any suspicious thing must be notified"

"Yes, Sir" he made a military salute and went out the office as soon as possible, very excited for the journey, but ignoring how dangerous it would be.


	15. Jagar runor

Chapter 15. Jagar runor.

It wasn't rare seeing an AstraZeneca plane landed on Stockholm's airport; the company had Sweden origins and having directors and businessmen coming over to have some meetings was rather often. Nevertheless, it was unusual seeing Susanna or any other of the mayor investors doing it.

On the way to Sweden, Susanna took the chance to have a video call with her dad and tell him about her journey. She also checked some photographs and descriptions from a real state's catalog. It was necessary to get a new building for AstraZeneca's offices, and most important, to make sure it was a very well guarded place.

After the landing, the first one getting out of the plane was Sebastian, who made sure everything was in order on the landing track. He made sure nothing or no one suspicious was in there.

"Very well, Milady, you can now come out" he entered the plane once again, waiting for the girl to approach the door "do you need some help?"

"I… yes, I believe so" she said after noticing her situation; the bullet wound in her leg wasn't much of a problems and it wouldn't have future repercussions, but in was painful when walking, so the butler suggested she used a crutch to make it less painful.

Sebastian offered her his arm so she could lean on him and then they went out the plane. A driver was waiting for them so he could take them to the hotel where they would stay. Some days before, the butler made all reservations and arrangements to have a car in Sweden, as well as an available driver just in case.

The place he chose was the Grand Hotel Stockholm, and as soon as they arrived, Susanna was very impressed, not only because that country was completely unknown to her; it was way too different from anything she had seen before; if the UK was fascinating, Sweden was charming and elegant. The hotel was big and the architecture classic, matching the city's style.

"I took the liberty to make reservations in the best suit from this hotel. It was two rooms and a living room with a desk. I thought perhaps you might want to check those documents we brought or what we may find" said Sebastian as he opened the window, showing the beautiful view of the Stockholms ström.

"It's beautiful!" she looked through the window and a big grin appears in her face "you really exceeded yourself this time"

"What kind of butler would I be is I wasn't capable of choosing the best place for Milady?" he started to unpack.

"I know…" he laughed after hearing him "and you? I think I never though bout this but… do demons sleep?"

"That is an excellent question… no, we don't need to sleep, but we can do it as a luxury. In normal situations, I would stay in another room, but considering the circumstances, I better guard you from the living room" he said solemnly, pointing at the sofa next to the desk and closing the doors that separated the main room from the rest of the suite.

"Circumstances?" she sided her head

"Indeed. I'm afraid those men are coming after you and I shall protect you at any cost"

"I understand. There's another bedroom in here, anyways… isn't it?... behind those doors" he pointed at the other side of the room.

"Indeed, but as I mentioned before I don't need to sleep, so I will keep vigil from the living room" he kindly smiled and his eyes focused on her with an intense gaze, predatory. Then, his smile changed and his voice became seductive as he said "unless, of course, you want me to stay with you, in your room… in your…"

"Enough!" she turned around because she didn't want to face him and then went out to the balcony, waiting for the breeze to cool her face, taking the blush away. What the hell was that demon thinking? She didn't want to find out. Despite the temptation being too much, she wouldn't give in to his provocation; she wouldn't give him such satisfaction. Besides, someone else was in her mind was well, and that someone made her feel different things from what the demon did; there was no comparison… apparently.

She remained thoughtful for a couple moments, letting herself go with the calmness of the city, but suddenly something made her feel uneasy.

"Sebastian?"

"Yes, Milady?" he was standing right behind her, watching her. He didn't take off his gaze, not even for an instant.

"I can feel a presence…" her back became tense and the butler surprised; he hadn't feel anything unusual in that place. Could it be part of Susanna's abilities?

The demon's eyes immediately became pink and bright, looking for something out of the ordinary. He even looked through the windows, trying to detect a presence but he couldn't see anything.

"It's a shinigami" she said coldly, not sure of what it could mean and Sebastian relaxed.

"In that case, there's nothing to worry about. There are shinigamis all over the world, in every city. Those individuals we've met before are part of the London division and it's only natural for another one to exist in Stockholm. Besides, I'm here to protect you.

"I… had no idea. Actually, I don't know much about shinigamis" she relaxed as well and continued "what time is it?"

"One and a half in the afternoon"

"Excellent" she smiled and turned to see the butler "let's take the opportunity to visit the city. I want to have lunch in a quiet restaurant and meanwhile, I want you to investigate where are the best bars and nightclubs I town, ok?"

"Your wishes are my command, Miss"

With that said, Susana went inside her bedroom to change her clothes and get ready for the afternoon, wearing comfortable and casual clothes. She wouldn't miss the opportunity to visit the city. Once she was ready, she went out of the room and Sebastian was waiting for her, wearing a more casual attire, with dark jeans, a black coat and a matching necktie, as well as a white shirt. His black gloves completed the relaxed look in the butler, but he still looked rather formal.

"The car is ready" he smiled and opened the door.

When they went out the hotel, a beautiful silver war waited for them and they headed to a restaurant that had a classis Sweden style, so she could enjoy a nice meal with traditional music, but from a moderate distance, a blond young man with green eyes followed them.

"Not bad… on days like this, I sure enjoy my work!" and then he drank from a glass of lemonade with plenty of ice and flirty grinned at the waitress next to his table.

His main challenge during this work would be remaining unnoticed. So far, Sebastian hadn't been a problem, but Susanna felt his presence, although it was nothing a small change of look could fix: Ronald wore black pants, a combining vest without necktie, a white shirt and his sleeves were rolled up. He also wore a beany with a skull pattern on the side. Very adequate. And with some luck, he wouldn't be discovered.

He continued following them for the rest of the day, and he had the chance to visit interesting spots in the city while at it. There were beautiful monuments and exquisite galleries of art that would impress anyone. At night, the shinigami sent his report to the London headquarters.

"William asked for a detailed report, so… this better fills his expectations" he tied the paper "year 2015 and we're still using pigeons… talking about oldschool…" said the young shinigami as he let go the white pigeon from his hotel window.

" _Susanna Serafer activity report_

 _June 13th of 2015._

 _Susana Serafer arrived to Stockholm airport on this day, along with her demon butler. They are staying at the Grand Hotel (what a place!). They arrived at 12:30 PM and after unpacking in their room (for some reason, they are staying in just one room. It's quite big and it has two bedrooms itself, but still, I found it odd), they took a ride on a rented silver Mercedes Benz CLA class. It's such a beautiful car. I would love to have one of those, but I suppose it wouldn't be too useful for a shinigami like me. Too bad…_

 _Around two in the afternoon, the girl ate in a traditional restaurant. I couldn't see what she had, but it looked like soup and meat. She didn't had desert, which was pretty bad because I didn't get to finish my own meal and I had to order some takeaway food. Then, they visited Stockholm National Museum, where they bought some postcards, book markers and pictures of important monuments, which apparently she intends to send to her adoptive father and friends. They also got a touristic guide._

 _After that, they went to the Moderna Museet and she showed big interest in the modern art exposition. Those paintings don't even have a defined form! I don't know how or why she found them interesting but… well I guess everyone has their own tastes…. The demon, Sebastian Michaelis was alert all the time, in case something happened and made sure to get Susanna a chair every time she needed it. She's currently using a crutch to walk due to a bullet injury. Most of the time, he acts like a bodyguard, but when they were at the museums, he seemed to know a big deal about art. His explanations were really interesting._

 _At night, they visited a local tavern. It was Viking tavern! There were helmets, swords and shields everywhere, it was so cool! We don't have many places like that back home, and I honestly think London pubs are way too serious compared to the ones in Sweden. Besides, there were some exotic and interesting drinks, like "aquavit", and there were also vinking beer jar, made of wood and decorated with amazing details. There was a rock band playing as well._

 _I could watch Susanna and Sebastian from the second floor, thanks to my great ability to infiltrate those places. She sat in the bar, while the demon watched over her from afar, sitting in one of the tables on the other side. Apparently, she asked him to not be so close and he didn't have much choice but to obey. She drank a total of 5 jars of beer (I think her resistance to alcohol is rather high, considering she's a young woman), she also had some peanuts and talked with the barman, as well as some other guys who approached her. For some strange reason, each one of them managed to drop their beer on their pants, or had small burns caused with their lighter as they spoke with him, which made them leave. Everyone except for one, who managed to avoid those "accidents" and talked with Susanna for a long while. All those accidents were really funny and each one were caused by small peanuts the demon threw at them, to move their jars, and apparently he can manipulate fire at will._

 _I think Susanna and that last lad were about to exchange numbers, but then the demon aproached them with a threatening attitude and made sure he went away, making the girl angry and then she drank two more beers. The sadistic nature of the demon goes out every time he makes her mad, which happened very often at the bar, but maybe that's just a possessive attitude towards her. In the ed, he wants to get her soul, right? And yet, it seemed to me that he was a little jealous… that's crazy! Perhaps the aquavit started to have effects on me… but I only had one glass! To see how it tasted. I wouldn't drink while I'm on duty… not after that severe scolding… really!_

 _A couple hours later they both returned to the hotel. By then, she was a little drunk and joking with the demon. They had a casual talk and they seemed to have a good time. Both of them. When they reached the bedroom, she went to sleep and he stayed in the living room, guarding and watching over the hotel's surroundings._

 _Those were Susanna Serafer's activities for today. And for what I gathered, tomorrow they are going to investigate something related to the rune Gar._

 _That would be all for today._

 _Ronald Knox."_

William's face looked rather annoyed and irritated after reading the shinigami's report. Yes, he asked for a detailed report, but Ronald's comments weren't called for, not to mention the useless information. He caressed his forehead to stop the headache and breathed deeply to calm down. At least it seemed like Ronald was doing his work just fine and didn't take the eyes off of her… there was always the risk of being detected.

Then he looked again at the letter with Ronald's report and attached it to a filled that said "Serafer". He didn't feel capable of writing additional notes, many thoughts and ideas ran through his mind and it caused him great frustration. He didn't have enough information to understand what would happen if the final linkage was completed, and that delayed his work. Besides, Sebastian's erratic behavior angered him. Just thinking about him irritated the shinigami and his arrogant attitudes made him even angrier, especially when he manipulated Susanna to act according to his will or limiting her. He always wanted to get his way and that fake omnipotence was disgusting. Of course, those kind of thoughts were only limited to work matters. Yes, there wasn't any other external reason that influenced his thought.

"So jealous!" a dramatic voice yelled from his office door.

"No, absolutely not!" William immediately answered, but soon enough he reacted and fixed his glasses "Grell Sutcliff, would you care to tell my why do you came to yell in my office?"

"It's not fair. Ronald is having paid vacations in Sweden and, as if it wasn't enough, he is watching Sebas-chan! Why didn't you seed me? I have way more experience than him" the redheaded approached William's desk and leaned forward.

"That attitude is precisely the reason why I didn't"

"Oh Will, is it possible that you are jealous?"

"Honestly… don't say such nonsenses, and if you don't have any more work to do I suggest you to go home. As soon as Mr. Knox is back, we'll have to work overtime" he said before putting the file back in the drawer "Me? Jealous?... what a stupid thing to say…" he kept whispering incomprehensible things to himself as Grell left the office pouting.

The next day, Sebastian woke Susanna up at 8 AM, an adequate hour to start investigations. During the night, he marked Djurgaden's interesting spots on the travel guide. The only clue they had was the name of the that place and the rune Gar. Luckly for them, that place wasn't too big, because it was a small island.

It was practically in front of the hotel, and it didn't take them long to get there. The weather was warm and Susanna wore a pair of jeans, a sleeveless blouse and a thin sweater, while Sebastian had an outfit similar to the day before.

"Are you ready, Milady?" the butler stood next to the door and waited for the girl to go out. Once in the car, he handed her the travel guide "I marked all the interesting places I Djurgaden. I'm sure what we're looking for is hidden, and it has to be in a hidden place, not too crowded"

"You're right. Let's see" she checked the book "let's start with Vasa museum.

"As you wish, Milady"

It was a museum full of ships and sailing artifacts, so there were huge objects used by sailors and pieces of wrecked boats, as well as ancient maps. There wasn't a lot of people so they could look for clues all over the place. After fifteen minutes, Sebastian raised his voice.

"I found it!" he laughed and waited for the girl to approach.

"What is it?" she looked around. They in front of a wooden ship with beautiful details carved.

"Look in there" he pointed right next to the floor "It's the rune Os"

"Which means we are in the correct way. Do you think they follow an specific order?" she smiled.

"It's difficult to know, but that is not written without a purpose. It should mean something. Perhaps there another rune nearby" the Butler thought for a moment "let's get out of this museum. It might be somewhere outside"

"Let's go but you're the expert in runes so…"

"Don't worry…" he took a pen and a paper from his coat and started to write something "these are the 9 dark runes" she took it and studied it as they went out the place.

As they walked around, they looked for runes I the nearby statues, benches, stones and lights. The engraved rune in the ship was about five centimeters, so it would be difficult to find.

Susanna's leg hurt a little, so she sat in one of the benches nearby a monument, sighing and wondering what would be next. She looked towards the sky and felt something strange with her fingertips, which were touching the bench. She stood up to take a better look at it and then smiled.

"Sebastian, I found another!" almost immediately the butler was next to her "it's…" she looked at the paper in her hand, trying to find the rune's name.

"It's Ior. The snake"

"Which means the next one is in the zoo?" she looked at the other side of the island, where she saw a sign that pointed the way to the zoo.

"I don't think so. This rune means limit. According to Nord mythology, a snake marked Midgar's limits, and when Reading runes, it means that our own limits should be considered…" his voice was taciturn, as if he wasn't there at all "in this case I don't know what would it mean"

"Well, it's in a bench, so I suppose it faces our own limitations of getting tired and sitting… could it be possible that it's a clue for the limits of the island?" the butler's eyes seemed surprised and he kindly smiled.

"As expected, that's a great idea, Miss. Let's go and take a look in there" they both walked until they found a little road made of stoned that lead to the river, where a rock seemed out of place, and the gray tone was slightly bluer.

"That's another one!" she pointed.

"That's Ac, the rune of the oak… I believe it's quite clear we need to fine one…" he looked around "perhaps in that zone full of trees"

"Wait" she took the travel book and looked for something on the index "apparently there's a very old oak somewhere in the south …here, look!"

"It's a little far away. Is your leg fine to go the by foot?"

"Nonsense, let's go" she started to walk as normal as she could. The truth was he leg was hurting little, but she was too proud to accept it. She hated to be fragile in from of Sebastian and she was sure he wouldn't hesitate on taking advantage of the situation, so she decided to take her risks. A little pain couldn't be that bad.

They walked for a few kilometers and then they could see the old oak. It was a huge and wide tree and its leaves made an exquisite shadow, very convenient for the bright sun that was shining in the sky, making the weather even warmed. They looked around but there was no sign of any nearby runes.

"Could there be another oak around? Or maybe we have the wrong lead"

"I'm completely sure that Ac means oak. That's its only meaning, besides after so many my years of experience…"

"Right… so, where's the next clue, then?" the butler remained silent and they booth looked around. The park was beautiful, gray and joyful, ideal for a picnic or a riding a bike.

Suddenly, something picked the girl's attention. It was an old cabin, made of wood and almost hidden behind some trees and bushes. It seemed to be abandoned, but from Susanna was standing, she could see a stained glass in one of the windows. It was her family's crest in red, white and blue. She was more than able to recognize it by then.

"In there! That's the Serafer's crest" they approached the cabin as fast as they could. Indeed, it was abandoned and the lock very rusted "let's get inside"

"Allow me" Sebastian took off his black gloves with what Susanna thought were hypnotic movements. The contrast of his pale hands and his black nails, seemed dangerously attractive. Then, he took the look and broke it, letting the pieces fall into the floor. Then he looked at her, as of he was asking for permission, and entered the cabin "we better take a look around first. Your grandfather wasn't someone who trusted easily and I doubt he hid something without enough protections"

He walked around the cabin, but didn't find anything dangerous, so he told the girl to come inside. It was dark, despite being the middle of the day. The windows were dirty with dust; no light came from them. On the back of the place, was a locked door with an engraved rune.

"Cweroth… the funerary pyre"

"Should we look for a coffin?" she seemed confused.

"No. It means fire of destruction and purification. We'll probably need to burn the door, or the cabin's to go any further"

"Is it possible to burn only the door?" she asked as she saw the butler examining the door and the whole place.

"I'm not sure. The wood is wet and if we completely destroy it, the whole cabin might fall down and we could raise suspicion"

"Alright, then destroy only part of the door. I know you can do it"

"Understood" and then his demon eyes illuminated. Thy sparked with a red glow as his right hand raised fire to part of the door"

It took him a couple minutes because the wood was very wet, but that helped to control the fire easier. The flames were intense and seemed like a wave of never ending heat. So much, that it was obviously unnatural. Some minutes passed before 3/4 of the door was burn down, revealing a small space covered by a rock, and craved on it, another rune.

"Chalc…" he said with a serious expression and his eyes still feline and demony and before she could ask "it means mission accomplished" and then smiled with satisfaction, letting his sharp fangs show.

With a slow movement, he put a hand on the stone, which was very warm because of the flames from the door, then there was a sound as if some kind of mechanism was activated

The rock moved slowly and revealed what seemed to be a slide made of rock.

"Seems like this is the only way" she was about to jump down but Sebastian stopped her by touching her shoulder.

"I'll go first. I want to make sure this way is safe" he waited until the girl nodded "wait a few seconds before jumping"

And so it was. The first one to use the slide was Sebastian, wearing a big grin in his lips as he jumped. About ten seconds later she followed him, grabbing her crutch as hard as she could, but the fall was violent and decided to let it go and cover her wound. Luckily for her, she didn't get hurt in there, but she got some little bruises on the back in way down.

It wasn't a long fall, but she didn't expect the bottom to be so deep, and right before getting there she thought the hit would be very hard: the slide was about three meters from the floor. Fortunately, Sebastian was there to catch her.

She fell right in front of the butler, who grabbed her waist with a soft movement, making sure she didn't get hurt. Susanna' hands rested on his chest for an instant, making a barrier between her and the demon, and yet their facer were so close. At first they seemed surprised and it showed in how opened their eyes were, but in a matter of seconds, Sebastian changed his glance, demon eyes showing again, as pink and mesmerizing as ever, confusing her; alluring her and breaking her barriers. Now she was defenseless after seeing those same eyes that had looked at her many times, in every different way possible, trying to make her give in.

 **And…yeah, cliff hanger… I mean author's notes…**

 **Hi guys! Please, don't kill me. I know you want to know what's going to happen, but… I'm afraid we'll know about it in next chapter, which I promise will be filled with action, obscures and mysterious things.**

 **By the way, the name of the chapter means "chasing runes" in Swedish, well according to goole at least. Sorry, I don't know Swedish, so if someone does and the spell or grammar is incorrect, please let me know.**

 **Again, I would like to thank you for following the story and keep reading it. I do this for you guys and it I really hope you enjoy it.**

 **Have a great weekend!**


	16. A dangerous cave

Chapter 16. A dangerous cave.

Susanna ad Sebastian had their eyes locked into each other for some instants but totally opposite from what he seemed to be about to do, he didn't take advantage of the situation and quietly said.

"Good thing I was here to catch you" his voice soft and smooth.

"…indeed…" and then she pushed him with her arms, telling him that he should release her from that embrace.

With a slow movement he put her down and separated from her, looking for any sign of her being hurt after the fall.

"Are you hurt?"

"No, I just lost my crutch, so…"

"Shall I carry you, then?"

"No!" she immediately replied. She didn't even want to imagine what could happen between them if another situation like the one from a few moments before occurred again. She started to walk through the stoned path, surrounded by tall rock wall. It was an underground cave, with lots of humidity and moss everywhere.

They both walked for a couple minutes. She touched the walls, trying to make it easy and less painful to walk. Her heart beat like a drum inside her chest. She was getting near something very important and she knew it.

The cave was dark, but Sebastian managed to make a torch with his coat and a piece of wood he found, and he was illuminating the path ad he walked in front of Susanna. The floor was slippery and they both used the stones on the walls to avoid falling. Getting to the bottom of the cave would take them a while.

It was a huge cave, but lucky for them it only had one path, so they couldn't possibly get lost, and yet it was filled with obstacles: the floor was slippery and there were parts where they had to jump or climb big rocks to pass through.

When they finally got to the bottom of it, the rune Gar shone brightly in aqua blue. Visible to anyone's eyes without the need of any light.

"there it is!" she pointed and approached as fast as she could.

"Allow me… we don't want any accidents, do we?" and so the butler approached the rune and touched it, but nothing happened. Then he looked at the wall, with his hand still in the rune "interesting…"

"There has to be a way to open it"

"When I put my hand and touch it, I can feel a small tickling. This has to be the right way to open it, but…"

"Do you think if a human touches it…?" she said hesitantly.

"It could be mortal for them…" his voice was serious"

"Well, if it is, your job will be to keep me alive" and with a very quick movement she put her hand on the rune.

Nothing happened to Susanna, luckily, but the rock moved, leaving Sebastian quite impressed for the result and the deliberate way she touched it, and after an instant later he smiled and explained.

"Maybe this only reacts to members of the Serafer family" such thing was confirmed when, right behind the rock appeared a small room which had a small chest in its center. As son as they were both inside, the rock moved again, locking them.

"I only hope there's another way to get out" she said before approaching the chest, which needed a key to open, and of course, she didn't have it, but she had something better "Sebastian?"

"Why, of course" he easily broke the lock, a little anxious to see what was inside.

It had only two books of notes, whose covers were made of hard leather and looked antique. The pages were yellow and very used.

"This has to be the other part of the rituals!" she took a look at one of the books, but immediately remembered Sebastian's warning and handed it to him.

"Let's see…" he read some pages and as he did it, his pupils became shiny and his hair moved as if there was a blast of air. He could feel his skin shivering as his eyes ran through the written words in the old paper. They were lines of liquid evil right in front of him, calling for his demonic nature, demanding it to get out and giving him tools of destruction, blasphemy and depravation.

His breathing accelerated and his black heart beat quickly and hard inside his chest. Susanna immediately guessed the content of that book couldn't be good, not only because of her butler's reaction after reading it; the mark of their contract in her neck was getting warmer, burning her skin with every passing second, but she only put her hand on it, without making any noise. She knew she was stepping in dangerous grounds and she didn't want to trigger any radical change in him.

She felt stupid for trusting him like that; so blind, and yet she knew that, but to certain point, he was bounded by their contract and that there was something else that stopped him and would keep him away from the temptation that book brought along.

A few minutes later, his forehead was sweaty and his breathing restless, his shiny demon eyes looked at Susanna, intimidating and on the prowl, almost tasting her soul; his future victory in the moment he could finally corrupt her. His original target would remain intact, and only a few extra and unexpected things would be alter his plans.

"This is…" his voice became deeper "…the second part of those rituals and invocations…" she didn't dare to speak. She knew very well how to read his gaze and it wasn't the right moment to do it "those men can't even lay eyes in this. It's too dangerous and in inexpert hands, without enough…" he made a pause and heavily gulped "…self control, could bring terrible consequences for anyone" although his eyes remained pink and shiny, he finally came back to his normal being; just a little more terrifying.

"Very well… keep it. I will have the other part with me, and do not let anyone take it. This is an order"

"Yes, My Lady"

Then she proceeded to read the other book inside the chest. It looked like an old diary and it had the name of Richard Serafer in the front. It was addressed to his descendants, convinced that one of them would be the one reading it.

Susanna sat, leaning on one of the cave's walls to read the diary. As she turned the pages, she got more and more surprised. The complete family history was there, with the smallest details and what she had been looking for: the true meaning of the final linkage.

After nearly an hour passed, he had read the first part of the diary, shocked at first and unable to stop reading. That could be her only chance to do it, but when she got to the part that interested her the most, she could only put down the book and cover her mouth with one of her hands.

"Is something wrong?" said Sebastian worried.

"The final linkage… it's a bridge between dimensions. When it's done, it will grant access to any kind of entities and beings to this world. Once the ritual is complete, it's permanent. It will change the course of… of…" she babbled "of history for you, for me… for those shadows I see; those vagrant souls, for the shinigamis… everything and everyone!"

"Is that possible?"

"Only a divine power could do it. That's why the need the fallen angel. And…" the atmosphere around them started to change. It was like a cold air filled the cave and it came along with a spooky silence that wasn't normal "…woman…ritual, or sto…Him. It must… die in… of… blood… will fulfill everything"

Susana's words were incomprehensible from the other side of the rock, outside the cave, where Ronald was trying to listen. He could understand half of the talk, but that last part was very difficult to hear. He wrote it down in a small notebook and then put it back in his jacket.

"I hope Sutcliff sempai could decipher this…" he sighed but immediately his attitude changed. He was alert. Since the moment he entered the place, he had his death scythe at hand, but that strange and spooky atmosphere that invaded the place, he held it tighter, ready to attack any moment, but nothing happened.

His green eyes shone and for an instant he thought a young man with light blue eyes, a small beard and tanned skin was standing in front of him. He was tall, but didn't seem to notice the shinigami, who immediately faced him. Nevertheless, a second later he was gone, leaving Ronald very confused, but before he could investigate more, he heard Susanna screaming from the other side of the rock.

"Sebastian!" the Butler immediately stepped between her and that individual.

"It's Ricardo Soler!" the demon said and she desperately looked for an exit. A button or a leaver, something that could let them get out and run away with those journals. Meanwhile, that man looked at them as if he was studying them and then looked at the chest "there is something odd…"

Ricardo Soler only glared at them, apparently he couldn't speak. Sebastian approached him and tried to touch him with his hand, but he couldn't. He was like a ghost and when he did it, the man seemed shocked, which caused a grin on the demon's face.

"You don't have to worry, Milady. He is not here, it's only a projection" after he said that, the man looked at him with hate in his eyes and limited to look around the small room "I'm afraid you won't find anything here" Sebastian tried to persuade him to leave, but the man only looked at him, examining him, trying to guess what he was.

A few instants later, a rock moved, showing a rune Susanna reckoned and without second thoughts she pulled Sebastian and ran towards the exit. Her intuition told her to run as soon as the cold air appeared along with Ricardo Soler.

They both ran a fast as they could, she ignored the piercing pain in her leg, drove by the adrenaline and Sebastian was trying to find an exit in the tunnel.

"Milady, what rune was it?"

"It was like a T… pointing upwards" she looked back to see if that man was chasing them.

"Ear…" he said with a shady voice.

"What does it mean?"

"The tomb. It speaks of death and loss…"

"Dammit!" they kept running until they found a dead end "great! Now we are trapped here"

"And that is the least of our problems…" aid Sebastian as he saw some stones falling, letting water in, which would eventually fill the whole room.

"This is hell…" she touched the wall, expecting to find something and she looked at Sebastian on her side, ready to say something about her last words "bite your tongue and keep silent, ok?"

"As you wish…" he had a smirk on his face as he helped her to find a button or something that would let them get out. There was another rune carved in one of the walls "Stan…" he approached it and with his demon strength he moved the wall, making sure there was enough space for him and for her to pass "no time for riddles"

As soon as they were on the other side, the water started to get in there too and the girl was about to start running, but Sebastian stopped her by surrounding her waist with her arm, not letting her move any further.

"What the hell?"

"It's the rune of the Stone" he said as some rocks of the size of a soccer ball fell from the ceiling "I'm very sorry, but these are extreme situations" and then he carried her and put her in his shoulder as he run very fast though the slim path. The whole place was filling with water, little by little.

The rocks didn't stop falling and anxiety invaded Susanna's chest when she noticed Sebastian stopped in front of another wall, perhaps looking for a door. He was very focused and he held her tight with his arm, keeping her from moving despite her protests. She had to make a great effort and used her arms to move a little and touch the wall, looking for an exit, but she didn't have any luck.

A few moments later, the butler found something that sounded like a "click" that opened a small door right below them. It was a fall of about 8 meters, and the butler made sure she didn't get hurt. With a smooth movement he out her down in the floor and with a firm voice he said.

"Milady, please run as fast as you can towards the other side, right behind that curve. That last rune was Yr. the arrow"

"There isn't much imagination needed to know what it does"

"I'll be your shield and make sure those arrows don't touch you, but run and don't stop for anything, alright?"

"But… what about you?" she looked at him with a worried look in her eyes. He was about to sacrifice his physical integrity to save her and she didn't like it, even knowing he was a demon.

"This I just a human facade…" he explained. A lie to hide the satisfaction and enthusiasm after seeing the worry in the girl's eyes.

"But you can still feel…." She didn't say anything else because she knew how stupid her arguments were. He was a being who couldn't feel pain as a human dis and he acted accordingly. Besides, despite his reasons for acting like that, he had to protect her because it was his duty "alright. I'll see you on the other side"

With that said, she started to run with all the strength that was left in her legs. The butler disappeared almost immediately and the sharp arrows flew around the place. Susanna saw a black shadow flying really fast around her, which seemed to stop the arrows and let them fall into the floor. The pain I her leg was almost nonexistent compared to the fright of Ricardo Soler chasing them or be trapped inside the cave, drowned.

When she reached the curve behind a big rock, she was relieved of making it alive, but there was a small injury in her left arm. It was bleeding just a little, so she didn't give it importance and cleaned it with her hand.

She looked at the stone wall, full of moss and unbreakable in front of her and as she got down to look at it closely, she felt how Sebastian stood behind her.

"Are you hurt?"

"Just a scratch" she glanced at him, noticing her clothes with blood stains and ripped everywhere because of the arrows. She didn't say anything about it and continued touching the wall.

"Be careful. With the arrow, we've found all nine dark runes, so the only exit is to the river"

"I'll keep that I mind" she continued touching the wall, and cleaned again the small cut in her arm, before the blood made a bigger stain.

Suddenly she found her family's crest, but it didn't seem to have a mechanism to move or to be pressed. She touched with her bloody fingers and suddenly a blinding white light came out of it.

"What is this?" she asked as she covered her eyes and Sebastian thought for a moment. After seeing the girl's hands he completely understood.

"Looks like you found the way to open it. I was guarded by a spell and your blood dispelled it"

What a coincidence…" when the light was cone, the rock behind them moved and the arrows were gone. The whole that was left in the rock's place showed them another slide made of stone.

"Alright, Milady, I'll go first. Jump after me and as soon as you listen my voice, take a deep breath and swim towards the surface" she nodded and looked at him as he jumped through the hole.

She jumped as well. This time, the fall wasn't so hard but everything was dark and she felt claustrophobia. Fear invaded her but Sebastian's voice made her react and she took as much air as she could into her lungs.

Before she realized, she fell into the water and opened her eyes, trying to see something. It wasn't so dark because the sun illuminated it a little, and she swam with all her strength. She knew her life depended on it, but the distance seemed terrible and she wasn't sure the oxygen in her lungs was enough. She moved her arms and legs as fast as she could, despite feeling she wasn't getting anywhere, and right before the oxygen left her lungs, she felt someone pulling her arm. It was Sebastian who was swimming very fast towards the Surface and when they were there, she opened her mouth to take a deep breath. In that moment she knew she was about to drown. If it wasn't for her butler, everything would have ended there.

Sebastian held her in his arms as her breathing became steady. They were both soaking wet and when she was sure of being able to swim by herself, he let her go, but she couldn't help but notice the demon's shirt, framing his torso and showing his strong chest, not to mention his wet hair that framed his attractive face, his eyes staring at her.

"The shore isn't far away" he finally said, focusing in swimming towards it as he hard his butler's voice calling her"

"The official version it's that you fell from one of the boats and I jumped after you"

Lucky for them, no one seemed to noticed them getting out of the river. They were in a less crowded place of Djurgarden , so when they were out, they took the chance to rest for a moment in the grass.

The sun was above them, keeping them from getting cold and making them a little sleepy. A few moments later, Sebastian stood up.

I'll go get the car" and before she could answer, the demon disappeared without leaving any other trace but a heavy wind, after he accelerated.

It didn't take him long before he came back to pick Susanna up. Because of his speed when running, his clothes were almost dry, and when he was next to her, he offered her his hand to help her stand up. Sebastian soon noticed she had trouble walking, so he politely asked.

"Can I help you?... you seem to be under a lot of pain"

"I think… this time I will have to agree" and then she took her in his arms and walked towards the car. She couldn't help but feel grateful. Yes, maybe he did all that because of the contract, and that was her ration part speaking, and yet he worried about her and his actions spoke more than anything else. She took the opportunity of being in that situation to hug him. A silent way of thanking him. Almost immediately a smile appeared in Sebastian's lips.

"I've called the hotel manager so they ready some towels for you" he made a small pause "and don't worry, the books are safe. I bought a couple plastic bags and put them in there" she looked at him, not believing what she was hearing and he winked, saying with a special tone "what kind of butler would I be if I wasn't prepared for such things?"

Just like Sebastian had said, when they arrived to the hotel, some staff members were waiting for them with towels and a doctor.

"I told them you had an accident in the lake"

"That is exactly what happened…" she smiled and waited for Sebastian to open the door. She stood up and got out of the car, then she took a towel to cover her shoulders. Then, Sebastian carried her again and they entered the elevator to go to their room, along with the doctor.

"Thank you for everything" she whispered in his ears as the elevator doors closed behind them.

Once they were in the room, the doctor checked her arm and cleaned it so it wouldn't get infected. Susanna was thankful he didn't ask many questions and then he explained Sebastian how to put a bandage on it after she took a bath.

She did it as soon as the doctor left. She was tired, but the adrenaline kept her alert. She remembered the chills in her spine when she saw that projection, and many ideas came to her mind after reading the truth about the final linkage.

From that moment, her perception about the reality radically changed. She now knew what she was facing and what those people were looking. She still didn't know how would they do it, but her conviction to stop them was stronger than ever. Her grandfather left her a clear message and all the information she needed was written in that diary, but the most important thing was to keep the invocations book out of the reach of those people.

She was sure Sebastian was the right person… or being… to keep it safe, so she wasn't so worried about it, but this time they would surely go after her.

She felt as if her head was about to explode and when she went out of the bathroom, she sat in one of the couches, letting her butler to put a bandage in her arm, but none of them said a word for a while. After finishing, Sebastian left her alone for a moment.

Susanna's brain was about to explode with all that thinking, but eventually all those thoughts became a loop and it was frustrating, so she said.

"I need to get distracted"

"It's understandable. Do you have something in mind?" the Butler looked at her from his room's door.

"I just want a drink and… something to eat"

"Very well then…" he walked towards her with a mischievous look "I know the right place "

With that said, Sebastian took her to a Victorian Goth styled bar, which was located in downtown. It wasn't a big place, but the decorations belonged to the end of the XIX century. The carved wood had beautiful details and the tables surrounded the bar, where exotic and elegant cocktails and wine were served

"My, my, this sure brings back memories" the Butler sad as he walked behind Susanna, looking around, fascinated with the decorations.

"I love this place!" a waiter approached them and gave them the menu. She ordered something to eat and then looked at Sebastian with curiosity in her eyes "so… the Victorian era brings you memories?"

"That's correct" he stated explaining "one of my contractors lived during that time"

"Really? It should have been very interesting!" she seemed very excited. She enjoyed a lot the stories the demon told him once in a while, about past times. All details were so vivid and real, she could spend hours listening to him. Besides, every time the demon told her about it, his voice changed into a special tone, rhythmic and mesmerizing in the girl's ears.

Almost two hours passed and the butler continued telling her about the customs and impressions of the era, while she drank some aquavit.

"Wow… I don't think I could have lived during that time. Wearing corset and using huge dresses is way too impractical… but if I could live in another era for a couple of days I would choose the middle age"

"A fascinating time, really!... if you don't mind taking a bath every six months…"

"Sebastian…" he looked at her with curiosity because her expression radically changed "Isn't that…?" she looked at the bar, where there was a young man with a beany, trying to hide his face "Ronald Knox?"

 _ **Author's notes:**_

 _ **Hi guys! Thanks for following the story and read this chapter. I hope you liked it. This time I want to ask you some things: who do you want Susanna to end up with? What would you think if we divided the story, depending on whom she stays with?**_


	17. Dissapointment or temptation

Chapter 17. Disappointment or temptation?

"I think…" Sebastian turned to take a look at the guy in the bar "it is, indeed him. No doubt of it" he finally replied and Susanna stood up and walked towards the young shinigami, who was trying so hard to dissimulate, looking at his beer. Then she stood next to him and touched his arm.

"Ronald? What are you doing here?" she smiled.

"Susanna! What… a nice surprise to find you here…"

"Same here…"

"Oh, I had to… collect a soul nearby and heard about this place. Isn't it cool? The decorations…"

"Collect a soul, you say?"

"That's right… well, actually a couple of them and…"

"You don't say… Sebastian?" she said as she made a gesture for her butler to follow.

"Understood, Miss" and then he appeared right behind Ronald, threatening him with a knife he took from the bar and walking making him walk towards the emergency exit.

"What?... ok… I guess we're having some fresh air" Ronald tried to hide his nervousness, but he was actually pretty clueless about what to do.

The emergency exit lead to a dark back alley, but the twilight made it look a little more illuminated. Ther were beer boxes next to the walls and there wasn't anyone there.

"Do you think I'm an idiot?" she yelled as Sebastian pushed Ronald against the wall, still pointing at him with the knife and choking him with his other hand.

"I… don't know... what… you're talking…about" he barely answered.

"You can't possibly be collecting souls here… that's what the Stockholm division is for. And I highly doubt you are on vacations. Are you following me?" he didn't answer, partially because he didn't know what to say and also because the demon's hand kept him from doing it "let him speak, Sebastian"

"Ah!..." he breathed heavily and grabbed his neck "I… didn't mean to bother you, Susanna… it's just that… it's part of my job. My boss sent me to follow you here, but you weren't supposed to know. I swear I haven't interfered at all! Actually I cannot do that, or I would be punished. I've been working overtime for the past two weeks. My job here is only watch, I didn't have anything to do with those things in the cave!"

"What?! Then you've been following me since we got here? what the hell are you thinking?... I felt a shinigami presence as soon as we landed, but I didn't think it was you… do you have any idea of what privacy is?" Her voice tone was rising little by little, as well as her anger "I'm not some kind of weird specimen you guys can… wait…" her expression immediately changed "you said your boss sent you, right?" Ronald nodded "and your boss is William, isn't he?"

"Yes, he is my boss" he finally said after sighing.

"William! I'm going to kill him…" she sounded very annoyed.

"Then, Mr. Spears is behind all this…" Sebastian grabbed Ronald's neck again, this time with malice in his eyes, shining with blood thirst.

"Don't touch him" she ordered and the demon didn't have much choice but to obey, leaving the shinigami rather confused "very well, Ronald… I understand. And actually, I like you. You were just doing your job"

"That's right, I was just…"

"That is why… I don't know what you will have to do, but I want to speak with William now" the girl's voice sounded threatening as her eyes stared at the shinigami's.

"With Will?... now?.. but…" the butler immediately glared at him with a fierce look in his eyes "alright, alright…"

Ronald fixed his vest and put two of his fingers on hi slips, whistling very loud, and instants later a white pigeon landed right in his shoulder. Then he took a pen and a paper from his pocket and started writing a note. After that, he tied it to the animal's feet and it flew again.

"This could take a while, but he will come"

"Pigeons?" she arched an eyebrow in disbelief.

"I know! That's what I've been telling them for forty years now, but those guys in the logistics department are too stubborn"

"Talking about old-school…" was the only thing Sebastian could said about it.

Now they would only have to wait for an answer, or for William to show up. Whatever it was, Susanna decided to sit down in one of the boxes in the floor, while Sebastian leaned in the wall next to her and Ronald sat in another box that was higher than hers, almost at the end of the alley. Almost twenty minutes passed and none of them spoke. She thought seriously about the situation and got angrier with every passing minute.

Suddenly a sound was heard, one that seemed like a buzz and then something like a thunder in the end of the ally. Two seconds later, William walked in Ronald's direction holding his death scythe. He seemed to be a little annoyed, but not too much.

"I was sure you would eventually have problems during this mission and yet, next to that redhead, you were the best choice… Ronald Knox…"

"Sir!... eh, I…"

"Nevertheless, I have to admit that, when I read the words _major complication_ in your note, I thought you meant an imminent danger or something related to type D demons" he looked around the alley with peevish attitude.

"Well, you see…"

"Oh, believe me, William. When he said major complications he fell short" Susanna stood up from the box and approached the older shinigami, who evidently hadn't seen her, because she was behind those boxes where Ronald was sitting… he hadn't seen Sebastian either.

"Susanna!" he managed to say and his face showed his surprise to find her there "what are you doing here?"

"You know? That's exactly what I asked Ronald when I noticed him following me… and under your orders, not less!" she came closer to him, very irritated as she spoke "I ignored Grell's presence in London for almost a week. I was curious to see what you guys were up to, but this is too much. Why are you following me?"

"I'm afraid that's not of your business" William avoided her gaze. His voice cold and severe.

"You are an insolent!" after the stressful day and the reaper's answer, she finally lost it and slapped him in the face, leaving Ronald with an astonished expression and Sebastian with a big grin in his face. William didn't move, he only straighten his head and remained silent after the strong punch he received. As expected, he adjusted his glasses as well "how is this not my business? You are following me! My family matters are only mine. If I'm investigating them is because I want to know what happened and what a I'm facing, but it doesn't mean I will share information so carelessly. If you want to know something, just ask… don't send someone else to lurk around and follow me"

"It was not my intention to bother you…" his shoulders were tense and his posture rigid, but he looked at her with regret in his eyes.

"And just the other day I thought you were being honest" she turned around and headed to the bar's exit door, with her eyes looking at the floor and sadness in her voice.

"These are strictly labor matters" a few seconds later the shinigami realized what he just said and tried to fix it, but before he could say something she spoke.

"I never insinuated they were something else…" she looked at him and then her voice became almost a whisper, but he could still hear her "…despite me wanting them to… see you later" she kept walking, disappointed and tired. Sebastian followed her right after he showed the reapers a mocking smile, looking right at William before entering the bar again.

"Well… it could have been worse" Ronald finally said, trying to break the tension in the air and earning an enraged glare from his boss.

"We are going back to London" he said as he walked towards the alley's end, waiting for the other reaper to follow. He couldn't take it off on Ronald because it wasn't his fault at all, but he was, and he reckoned that wasn't the best choice of words to speak with Susanna.

Once they were back I the office, the blonde one gave William the complete report of the day, including what happened in the cave.

The Supervisor showed great interest in what happened with the runes and the books they found in the cave, so he took many notes about it. The final linkage turned out to be something they already expected, but not less alarming because of that. The higher ups had to be informed immediately. Reapers never meddled in human business, but this implied much more. They could be affected as well and their very reason for existing could disappear if the final linkage took place, not to mention the great number of souls that were getting lost because of it.

Yes, William would have much to think about, but what intrigued him the most were those words Ronald wrote in his notebook.

"… _woman…ritual, or sto…Him. It must… die in… of… blood… will fulfill everything"_

William had a hunch about those words; about being fundamental for completing the ritual, but they didn't make much sense and it was impossible to know what they meant. The only clear thing was that, whoever makes the ritual could die. Also, that they would need blood and a woman was needed as well.

Suddenly a disturbing thought came to his mind: Susanna was in danger.

As much as he tried to avoid thinking about her, this time it was inevitable. The discussion they had hours before still lingered in his head and he reproached himself for saying those words he said. He tried to distract himself with work and only to go back to the same point. He had to speak with her.

Meanwhile at the Grand Hotel Stockohlm, Susanna was sitting in the living room of the suite. The windows were opened so she could see the night sky full of stars. She seemed relaxed, but the truth was, her mind was a mess. Even after drinking some aquavit, she couldn't be at ease.

First, all those revelations about her family, then the real meaning of the final linkage, Ricardo Soler's projection and all those things that were very dangerous because they related to spells, sacrifices, invocations… and to make things worse, she felt betrayed by William. It was hurtful and a big disappointment because she thought she was becoming closer to him, there were even some feelings for him growing inside her…

She had been feeling sympathy for him for a while. And not only that, his personality and all the mystery around him made him even more attractive. Besides, he was very handsome and a complete gentlemen. He was serious, but when she talked with him she could see his nice and soft side, and all that captivated her. The man… or more exactly, the reaper was quite a catch… Wait! Was she really thinking about those things? She immediately shook her head to get rid of those thoughts and she got angry at herself. She should enjoy what was left of her life in some other way. In the end, and as far as she knew, her life could end the next day or the next month. She didn't know.

She remained thoughtful a little longer and then heard Sebastian's footsteps approaching.

"Did you know my last name means Seraph?" her words sounded empty.

"I figured as much…" he calmly answered.

"How ironic" she let out a cynic laugh "seraphim are pure beings… high-ranking heavenly creatures, you know? My family is anything but that… I couldn't be farther from that" the bitterness in her heart showed and after a moment, Sebastian answered with a firm and reflective tone.

"But it was them, those pure and full of god's love seraphim the ones who destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, by throwing fireballs at buildings, houses and people. Now, that is irony, even if it was all about being a punished whip"

"God's rage is something fearful…"

"But at the same time, it is exquisite and gratifying, especially if it's against someone like me…" he thought about Susanna's soul and her plans for her, which were already perfectly planed. He was satisfied about those plans, but expectant and excited to them coming true; for the sacrifice they implied and how satiric they were compared to his original wish. He wanted her, and it wouldn't be long before he could achieve the first part of his ambitions. He had to be with her, by her side… His eyes turned brighter again, but she didn't saw them "seraphim have three pairs of wings" he continued.

"Three?"

"That's right" his voice became softer "one pair to fly, another one to cover their feet as a symbol of humility and one last pair to cover their faces"

"Why would they want to cover their faces?" she felt curiosity.

"Since they are the most beautiful creatures in the universe, only god has the right to look at them as they are. Him, and only him" contrasting with the thoughts he had before, his look showed some tenderness, which was influenced by the seraphim metaphor and the girl "a very adequate image for you, if I may say" he was being sincere; he liked her a lot, even if he tried to hide or deny it, and that was exactly the unexpected thing he faced when got to know her better.

"…Thank you…" she looked at him for an instant, surprised for the expression in his eyes and she immediately turned her eyes to the window, blushing a little and smiling without noticing. But suddenly her leg started to hurt very bad and her face showed it.

"Are you alright?"

"My leg hurts and I'm exhausted. Too many excitements and emotions for a day. If it weren't for the bullet injury…"

"Perhaps a massage could be what you need. That way you would relax and, I guarantee you, the pain would go away"

"You know what? It's not a bad idea" without second thoughts her words left her mouth.

"Excellent…. I remember seen some essential oils in the bathroom. Why don't you wait for me in your room?" she nodded and slowly walked towards her room, followed by her butler's glance. He was smiling, pleased. A few minutes later, Sebastian entered Susanna's room, opening the sliding doors "are you ready Milady?" he asked kindly, finding the girl siting in her bed, still with her clothes on "I'm afraid you will have to take your clothes off…"

"Yes, I know but…" she doubted for a moment as endless ideas and scenarios came to her mind.

"If you want it, it could only be a massage in your legs. That way, you won't need to…" he chose his words carefully and a grin appeared in his lips "…take off all of your clothes. Besides, I can bind up my eyes" he looked at the scarf that was hanging from one of the chairs in the room and took it.

"Thanks" she turned around and with a very slow and hesitant movement she took off her jeans, leaving only her shirt on and tight boxers, which showed part of her butt. Sebastian was able to look part of the show before covering his eyes. His pupils were dilated and he swallowed heavily, feeling his demon carnal needs rising as he saw her underwear perfectly adjusting to her silhouette.

Then he proceeded to bind up, take off his jacket and gloves, using his mouth because he knew she was watching. He would do anything to cause her temptation. After that, he walked to the side of the bed and took a small flask with oil from his pocket. Very carefully he put some of it in his palm and then sat kneeled behind her to start the massage.

His first contact with the girl's skin caused them both a thrill; for her, because she felt his hands on her calf and for him because with his eyes closed, the rest of his senses became more alert, increasing the sensations.

He decided to start with her feet, so he moved his hand towards the right foot. His hands did slow, but firm movements, making Susanna relax. His feet were tense, and when they finally relaxed she let out a small moan or relief, which stimulated the demon's imagination. Then he took the other foot and the little smile drawn in his face remained there as he noticed the girl was even more relaxed than before.

The pressure his fingers did on her muscles was soft and intermittent. Then, his hands moved to the other leg, without crossing the line between the back of her knee and thighs. Everything was calculated to have certain effect on her.

He tried to keep at bay the memory of those pages he read in the journal, filled with rituals and that called to his demon nature, but he couldn't deny what he truly was, and decided to use some tricks on her. It was the perfect moment and the more he incited her, the easier it would be for her to give in into desire later on.

His eyes shone under the scarf and his hands got warmer. Susanna thought it was because of the friction. Little she knew about what he was about to do.

He slowly started to go higher in her thighs; he wouldn't go further without her authorization, one hand in each leg and with almost identical movements, as if they were reflected in a mirror. Small circles that started to add pressure and then they barely touched her skin, stimulating her blood circulation. Each drop of blood in her body seemed to be a sedative and an aphrodisiac at the same time.

Soon, she felt the skin in her arms shivering with every touch, every time Sebastian's hands were on the inner part of her tights. He put special attention to the bullet wound, where he barely touched and made delicate movement, relieving the pain and the sensations were like a healing balm in her.

Soon, she didn't feel his hands on her anymore and just when she thought everything would end there; just like that, as if he had stopped in the middle of something, leaving her longing for more, he touched both legs from her feet to the middle of her tights just with one finger, then with two of them, and so on until his hands did it, making her moan in a little more suggestive way, giving away the thoughts crossing her mind and what her body yearned.

Sebastian smiled satisfied, although all that caused him some pleasure as well. He knew very well how to touch her and the most erogenous spots in the female anatomy, and with a small touch of his demon powers he got what he wanted, along with some release of his own needs and desires for touching her like that. Nevertheless, that would only leave him wanting more… much more, and it showed in how tight his pants suddenly felt.

Every little sound she made was unintentional and caused by how relaxed she felt, as well as the sensations he made her feel. She could almost imagine his hands going up, ascending a little more, slowly wandering through her thighs, butt and her back. Then, on the other side, touching her hips and breasts…

"Stop…" she said all of a sudden, putting an end to her mental images as well as stopping the butler, who was diligently touching her legs "it's enough"

"As you wish, My lady" he perfectly understood the message and knew that he couldn't push his luck, or her anymore; one false move could ruin everything "do you wish anything else before I leave?" his voice was kind and serene, reassuring her.

"No, thanks. See you tomorrow" she remained motionless, with her face against the bed sheets, waiting until Sebastian left the room and closed the door. And when he did, she relaxed again , and before she thought about what had just happened, or what she wanted to happen, she put on her pajama and laid down in the bed with only one thing in her head. Perhaps in wasn't a big deal, but… when she said it, he stopped and he didn't insist any longer.

Meanwhile in the other side of the door, Sebastian took off the scarf of his eyes and let himself fall in the couch, as if a heavy weight had just been lifted from his shoulders. By then, he had a lot of experience repressing his own desires, but it was different this time. So far, he had managed to keep composure, but he could almost taste the feeling of continuing where he left and quenching his thirst of… her. But he knew things wouldn't be like that, and for the moment he would only keep the memory of Susanna's moans.

He had to be patient and he didn't dislike the idea. For the first time in all his years, he enjoyed following her pace, because she became something important to him, and he wouldn't ruin it.

 _ **Author's notes:**_

 _ **Hey guys! Thanks for reading. I hope you liked it, this is getting pretty interesting. William messes up, and Sebastian is there to take advantage of the situation, but are his intentions bad?... I think there's something else already. See you next chapter!**_

 _ **Xxdeadmoonxx: Here you go! Some romance… or more like teasing… well, next chapter will have romance. Promise!**_

 _ **TfallenangelT: thanks! I'm glad you like it! And I will keep that in mind… actually I'm working in the final part right now. I hope you'll like it and is as surprise as well.**_


	18. A date

Chapter 18. A date.

The next day, Susanna woke up around 10. She slept very well, thanks to her butler's massage and the pain in her leg had gone away. As soon as she opened her eyes she looked at the room's ceiling, wondering if Sebastian would confront or tease her for what had happened the night before, but for the time being she decided not to worry too much about it and get out of the bed.

With slow steps she walked towards the sliding door and opened it, only to be very surprised with the image she saw: there was a delicious breakfast served next to a jar of fruit juice, the newspaper and the window was wide opened showing her the beautiful view, and right next to it, Sebastian showed her a kind and warm smile.

"Good morning, Milady. Did you sleep well?"

"Hi…" she could barely say "…yes, thanks…" she sat in one of the couches, still looking at him "very well, actually… my leg doesn't hurt anymore" damn! She accidentally touched the subject. Now she would have to deal with the butler's innuendos.

"I'm glad to hear that" he didn't move and continued talking "and after this tasty breakfast, I'm sure you will be as good as new. I personally took care of speaking with the chef about it and the best ingredients, along with the original recipe was used for this Swedish breakfast"

"Thanks…" what was going on? She expected some kind of teasing comment but… nothing. Then she smiled and stood up from the couch, ready to have breakfast.

After taking a bath and get dressed, she went out to the balcony to have a better look of the city from her window and then she heard Sebastian's steps approaching her and turned round as soon as she felt him standing next to the windowsill.

"Miss… I know yesterday was an intense day for you. Being aware of the dangers we are facing, your roll in all this, and then the unpleasantness of that shinigami" he avoided William's name on purpose; the last thing he wanted was her thinking about him "I think it would be good for you to get distracter. Forget about everything for a couple hours. Tomorrow we can go back to London and…" she was about to say something, but when she saw Sebastian's glance, intense and full of conviction, she let him finish "I would like to know if you would let me take you for a walk around the city, if you would allow me, of course. Not as your butler, but as your companion. Just for today"

"A walk, you say?" she was intrigued with his proposal.

"You may take it as a date, if you want it…" he made a pause and she was speechless for an instant "…a date or a casual walk with a gentleman who is on your entire disposition and who only wants to make you feel better. If you don't like it, I could go back to be your butler and I will only escort you during the day. Come on, you don't have anything to lose, do you?" his eyes were mischievous, but his smile was charming. He didn't look threatening or with the slightest intention of taking advantage of the situation. She thought for an instant and then she answered.

"Alright, it sounds like fun" she smiled "so, Sebastian… from this moment you will be my companion. What do you have in mind?"

"A couple things" he smirked and then continued "are you ready? We could go right away"

"I'll go get my purse and… a sweater" she walked towards her room and then went out. Then she was Sebastian waiting for her next to the door, wearing a pair of dark jeans, a fashion leather jacket and a black shirt, which made him look more casual and relaxed than usual. He didn't have his gloves on, and he looked rather eager to go out "alright, we can go now"

"Off we go, then" they went out the hotel and the rented car was waiting for them. The GPS pointed the way to Galma Stan.

"Where are we going?" she asked as she opened the window.

"Well, you could say it's the old part of the city. I'm sure you'll enjoy it"

They left the car in a parking lot and then walked down one of the main streets. That part of the city looked, indeed, rather antique and the architecture was very characteristic of past centuries, with houses painted in different colors and stone streets that took them to other times. The weather was great and the summer festival was starting in the streets, so there was a lot of people walking around the place, as well as many shops that sold souvenirs, food, flowers, crafts, etc… everything showed changing image between the old and the new.

They walked for some minutes and Susanna was amazed with the beautiful streets; she felt as if she went into a time machine, and for the first time since her life changed, everything seemed bright and colorful. Everything was possible and the future wasn't dark at all.

"This place exists since the XIII century" Sebastian started to explain as he walked next to her. They advanced slowly and the tone he used was the one she enjoyed so much. One of those voices one can listen for hours as they tell a fantasy tail "the medieval origins were influenced by German culture, although there isn't much of it left nowadays"

"I don't know much of architecture, but the buildings look from the XVIII or XIX" she took a picture with her cellphone and stared at the constructions.

"That is indeed a great observation. Actually, during those days some remodeling took place, but if you look closely, only the outside parts were changed and the construction itself has an older touch. Believe me, I saw it" he laughed a little "and although it might be hard to believe, during the 1800 this area was one of the most marginal around town. Ironically, today is one of the most popular an expensive"

"Go figure…" then she suddenly felt Sebastian's hand on hers and before she could react to it, she felt him pulling her towards an alley.

"Look…." as he put his hands on the girl's shoulders and whispered in her ear, standing behind her "close your eyes for an instant" Susanna's skin was so sensitive as she felt the demon's breath in her ear and he immediately closed her eyes "imagine yourself in 1350. There is some population in town, the houses are just like now, but in the back they have a small orchard or a small place to keep some animals. The constructions are simple, some of them made of stone. The smell of wet soil along with burning wood reach your nose. There are some houses where they sell fruits and meat a couple meters away from you, and in the distance, some horse steeps could be heard, pulling a cart" he made a small pause so she could imagine all that and then said "…open your eyes"

When she opened them, it was like all those smells and sounds were real, she even felt some humidity surrounding her, as if she was in another time. The image looked pretty clear for some instants; those house and merchants, as well as the constructions made of stone left her speechless. The horse steps got louder and stronger and suddenly she came back to reality, in a lonely alley, very different from the one she saw a moment before, but somehow the same. In a matter of seconds she went back in time.

"How…?" the sound of the horses was still close, and then she noticed it was real; there was a cart full of tourist, looking around as two horses pulled it. She immediately looked at him in disbelief.

"Imagination could do wonderful things" there was a triumphant shadow in his expression and his voice sounded happy "let's go. A historical place is nearby and I think you will like it"

During the day they visited different spots in Galma Stan: museums, statues and, since it was summer, the town's festival was at its best. There were art expositions in the streets and jazz musicians played sax around the main plaza, where she had lunch and drank some beer.

During the afternoon there was a small play, showing the Danish invasion, which could be seen from one of the terraces of the place. They were both sitting, looking at it, Sebastian making sarcastic and funny comments about it and criticizing _the "small changes"_ in the history, talking about the royalty's bad habits during that time. Susanna laughed with each of them and from time to time she punched him with her elbow, so he would stop making her laugh that much and she could watch the play.

When it was over and right before leaving the terrace, a flower seller carrying crowns and hair ornaments cleverly managed to put a white flower comb in Susanna's hair.

"Don't you think it looks beautiful on your girlfriend, sir?" he asked, trying to look innocent, but it was his most effective strategy to sell.

"That is indeed true, I think she looks more than pretty… and that color contrasts with her hair" she looked confused at first but then, she showed Sebastian a flirty smile and played along.

"Does it look better on the right or the left side?" she moved her hair.

"It would look good anywhere on you, but I like it just where it is now… how much do I own you, Sir?"

"20 crowns" Sebastian took some money from his jacket and gave it to the seller "thank you so much, Sir. Have a great evening with you lovely girlfriend"

"Thank you" he smiled with satisfaction and after a moment he looked at the girl, who couldn't keep her laugh any longer. He joined her soon enough and then they left the terrace "how about another walk?" he offered her his arm.

"Sounds good" she took it, smiling as they started to walk. His cologne, along with his attractive smell filled Susanna's nose, who discreetly took deep breaths to enjoy it.

The night came and it was dark but the streets were illuminated with small lights that looked like Christmas lights from the distance. The weather was still nice, but a little cooled. There seemed to be no one else but Sebastian and Susanna in that street. The lights in the shops were on, but those places weren't so crowded, which made their conversation a little more intimate. She told him a story about something that happened to her a few years back, with her friends, in her hometown and he listened carefully, intrigued and laughing at the crazy things she used to do. He didn't knew her back then, but he would have liked it; before the problems with those people… and still, the way she carried on with all that, made her even more interesting, aside of the rising evil inside of her.

They laughed for a while and then they kept walking in silence, she still holding her arm and smiling, just like him, who looked at the sky for a moment and then he placed his eyes back on her.

"I truly had an awesome time today" her voice was cheerful and relaxed, which was unusual "thank you very much. If it wasn't for your… idea, we would already be back in London, dealing with… everything"

"You don't have to thank me. It's been a pleasure" he made a pause and they stopped walking, no they were speaking face to face "to be honest, and now that I'm not your butler and I have more liberty around you, I have to say that I had a great time by your side. I would like to repeat it sometime" he kindly smiled and his eyes were warm, as well as his full expression "and before I go back to my butler roll…" he didn't finish the sentence and got closer to her, slowly and giving her the chance to move away if she wanted to, but she didn't. He hesitated a little before leaning his head a little and then he softly kissed her cheek.

It all happen during what seemed to be an eternity; the longest ten seconds in her life. Susanna closed her eyes for an moment, to enjoy the moment and when she opened them again, she saw Sebastian in front of her, with a completely different attitude from the one he had during the whole day: he was his butler again.

"Do you wish to go back to the hotel to rest? Or would you like to visit another place in the city? A bar, perhaps?" he asked, solemn after Susanna's disconcert as she looked at him with a surprised and disappointment expression.

"No… going back to the hotel sounds good. Thanks"

"Right away" and then they walked towards the parking lot, without saying a word and with some kind of emptiness inside them.

Once they were in the hotel, she decided to sleep early. She suddenly felt like being alone and think, so she put her pajama on and brushed her teeth, as Sebastian took care of setting the bet so she was comfortable.

As soon as the girl laid in bed, he turned off the light and headed to the door to exit the room but before he did, she said, almost whispering.

"What I said today… I meant it…" her face covered under the blankets and with her back facing the door, making sure he didn't see her.

"Me too, Milady" then he closed the door and remained in front of it for a little while, and after a heavy sigh, he said to himself "…me too…"

The next day they went back to London. They had the information they needed and they had to go after Ricardo Soler, who seemed to be the next in the list, along with Aidan Crawford, his business partner. It was now clear that they had to hurry up and hunt them, or the final linkage would take place, although they were sure they wouldn't do it without the other part of the spells and invocations written in Richard Serafer's diary.

It was still early in the morning when they arrived to the UK, and right on time for an AstraZeneca event. It was a luxury dinner to support one of the benefit programs Susanna was promoting.

She wasn't too excited about it, especially after the intense journey, but she didn't have a choice, besides it was important for her to support this Lupus campaign.

As soon as the plane landed on English lands, they headed to the mall to get a dress for the evening, and after Sebastian made sure the stylist would do her make-up, he took her to the dinner. This time he would be the driver and bodyguard.

After the dinner she took a glass of wine and went out to the balcony, to admire the beautiful sight from the Big Ben, illuminated with joyful lights in the distance, as the stars decorated the sky. She looked at the horizon with melancholic eyes and drank her wine, but suddenly a voice sounded behind her.

"May I join you?" it was William.

"What are you doing here?" she was curious about it, because last time they met, the circumstances weren't the best, and as much as she denied it, it affected her. She felt a tiny spark of anger awakening inside of her when she saw his usual solemn stance.

"I would like to speak with you and… explain everything, if you allow me to"

"Will…" he relaxed a little after hearing her. It was the second time she called him that way; not using his full name, and for an instant he felt as if he didn't lose her trust. She looked at him in the eyes and it was impossible to deny his petition "alright…" she sighed "look, I'm sorry I slapped you. I was very angry, but I know it doesn't justify it. It was wrong and I shouldn't have done it… but right now, I don't want to argue, so…" she looked away. She didn't want to meet those green eyes that seemed to look deeper into her words.

"I didn't come here to argue. I just want you to listen to me, please" he calmly said and she hated his tone: kind but serious, showing everything his face didn't.

"Come here" she was leaning in the balcony, facing him and made a gesture so he would stand next to her.

"I appreciate it" she wasn't too close, but the distance between them wasn't much either "first of all, I'm glad you're fine. I heard about the cave and… it's good to see you weren't injured" she nodded "I apologized for sending Mr. Knox to follow you. It was a decision I thought appropriate at the moment, and I believe it was wrong"

"At least you reckon it"

"We've been …" he carefully chose his words and sighed " …having problems with lost souls in the past months. I am in charge of the investigation and I'm afraid it's connected to you and everything that happens around you"

"Why didn't you say so?"

"I didn't think it was appropriate. Besides, I know you are in danger and…" Susanna's expression became darker "I don't… I'm sorry, I will leave business talk for another time"

"But why…?" she tried to ask, but the reaper interrupted her.

"Please, let me finish… I… might not be good with words or social matters, but what I really want to say is…" he fixed his glasses "I sent Ronald so he could inform me about your family and the final linkage, but I also did it because… I don't trust that… tosser… that... demon"

"Sebastian?"

"I know you have a contract with him, but…" he couldn't finish the sentence; he didn't have words to express his worry. It took Susanna a little while to understand what was going on, and when she did it, she was very surprised"

"William, are you jealous?"

"I beg your pardon?" he was a little shocked "me, jealous?... honestly, Susanna… from all the ridiculous ideas…" she started to laugh "what's so funny?" she couldn't stop laughing and as much as he tried to look annoyed, he was relieved.

"It's ok. Apologize accepted. And again, sorry for the slap"

"You had all the right to do it. Besides, you have a strong left" she felt a little embarrassed as he looked at her, pleased, but he didn't smile and a moment later he continued "now you know what those men are after… and I suppose now, more than ever, you will continue looking for them"

"Yes, but there are some missing pieces" there was silence for a while and the reaper studied her. She was wearing an exquisite black dress that fit her shape perfectly and her hair was tied in a bun, allowing her shoulders to be seen, almost naked. The contract mark was hidden under a big necklace.

"You look beautiful…" he didn't mean to say it, but the words left his mouth as if they had their own will.

"Thank you!" she widely smiled and felt some tickles in her stomach. After her positive response, he relaxed again and then she continued saying "it looks like everything will be more difficult from now on"

"Yes, everything is confusing and… do you have any plans for tomorrow afternoon?"

"Will… this is an unusual way to ask a girl out"

"What?... No, I don't… I mean…"

"I know. I'm only joking" she calmed him "and no, nothing in particular"

"Very well" he fixed his glasses again "I suggest an official meeting, with me and my team, so we can clarify the fallen angel and final linkage matters"

"That sounds great. Tomorrow afternoon, around five? At my place?"

"Excellent…" he was about to smile, when he felt a despicable presence and a gesture of disgust appeared on his face "I was wondering where were you lurking, you manky cockroach"

"Mr. Spears, do I have to remind you that your presence isn't welcome and that… meddling into other people's matters is very rude?"

"Sebastian, please…" Susanna's voice was soft, but the demon's eyes shone as he threateningly approached William.

"This is between Susanna and me" he calmly said "besides, interrupting grownups talk is rude as well, not to mention the poor taste on it… a butler should know better"

"I must protect My lady Susanna, despite anything, and right now I consider you as a threat for her, so…" he took a silver knife from his jacket pocket and with faultless aim, he threw it to Williams face, whose reflexes helped him catch it in midair.

"As expected from a wild beast who can only react in such manner… vulgar and low" he let the knife fall into the floor, provoking Sebastian even more and then the demon jumped in his direction, trying to tackle him

"Enough!" the girl stood between them; the demon stopping in the exact moment so he wouldn't hurt her and the reaper very surprised with her reaction "we're leaving!" she told Sebastian and headed to the parking lot "and I expect things are more civilized tomorrow…" she told William with a severe look in her eyes.

"Of course" he nodded and followed them with his eyes.

Once they were in the car, Susanna was very serious and ignored the butler's attentions, who offered her a box of chocolates he bought a few hours before, trying to be in her good side.

"Oh, come one, don't try to look like the prince charming… I'm mad"

"My Lady, I was only trying to defend you…" he calmly said, smiling with satisfaction after interrupting her and the reaper in the exact moment.

"I warned you not to attack William ad you disobeyed me just like that!"

"I profusely apologize, Miss, but I think I already taught you how to ask for anything" she got closer to her, whispering in her ear and trying to seduce her.

"I thought you had at least some common sense. Very well, I order you not to attack William… ever"

"Understood" he stood up and changed his attitude. Now he seemed more serious "but if that shinigami puts you in any kind of danger, I shall remind you that your wellbeing is above anything else…"

"You know he wouldn't hurt me" she interrupted "you know it very well, and that's why you antagonize him every change you get" she said seriously and sat in the car, looking through the window. She was anxious to go back home. A little peace was just what she needed.

 _ **Author's notes:**_

 _ **Hi everyone!**_

 _ **Thank you so much for reading this chapter. What do you think? I imagined a date with Sebastian would be pretty interesting, although under different circumstances it could be more glamorous and sexy, right? Let's see what happens on the next chapter.**_

 _ **Thank you so much for your reviews guys, they really make my very happy and give me motivation to keep writing!**_

 _ **TfallingangelT: Yes she did! And he deserved it… I mean, why would he send Ronald?! He should have gone himself or… someone from Sweden, or no one! But I guess that's his own way to show he cared. Good thing he's on the right track now. Apparently…**_

 _ **Deadxxxmoon: I did!... well, it was already written (actually I already wrote most of the story. I'm on the final chapters now) but yeap, I take any comment in consideration, my friend ;)**_

 _ **Princess-snow510: Omg! Thank you so much! I really appreciate it! I'm so happy this story has that effect on others. I dreamed this day would come… that some would get excited about it and shipped Susanna with one of the guys. Although at first, I didn't think about Ronald. I guess it was natural that they got along pretty well and I noticed it after writing the concert chapter. Let's see who she ends up with… I hope you continue reading the story and that it meets your expectations :D**_


	19. A meeting

Chapter 19. A meeting.

The next day Sebastian was in his room, laying lazy in his bed and waiting for the clock to point 5 PM; schedule time for the reapers to arrive at the Serafer residence. Susanna's words lingered in his head _"if we cooperate with them, they will do the same with us. They have information that could useful, and in exchange we have to reveal a couple things. At this point, we need all the help we can get. We can't just face the fallen angel by ourselves, if that is what we're going to end up doing… it could be fatal and not only for me. I don't want anything to happen to you"_

It's not like he hated the idea of working with a shinigami; he had done it before. The problem was that it made him more conscious about the possibility of him not being capable to stop it by himself. His ego and pride would be terribly affected if that was the case, not to mention that William's presence meant an obstacle for his plans for Susanna.

At least she worried about him, and not only because he was her butler and the strength to accomplish her goals. But there was something missing… that last step she had to take, and his task would be creating the ideal conditions for her to do it. She had to go to him on her own volition, freely give him her soul and not only because of the contract. He remembered that night at the hotel in Sweden. The contact of her skin under his hands, touching her legs and caressing them just like he had imagined many times. Images of his thoughts during that moment came back to his head, where he didn't stop within the leg massage and his mischievous hands went higher up, touching her in a seductive way until she wanted more and asked for it; his hands under her clothes, touching her bare skin for the first time, tasting her as her moans got louder and then… then he shook his head and cast those thoughts away. It just wasn't appropriate in that moment.

It was almost 5 o'clock and everything had to be ready when those men arrived, so he stood up from his bed and walked towards the door, glancing at the hanging picture in the wall. It was the one Susanna gave him a while ago in her grandfather's office.

It was a painted I the most exquisite way and he had always liked it since the moment he saw it: old Greenwich in a beautiful morning, with the Moon and Venus showing in the sky. Eight kids playing with a wooden sword as a couple cherubs watched them, and from the shadows a dark creature lurked. It was an unusual image from the beginning of XX century, but painted in oil with beautiful details. What picked his attention the most were the glances of the cherubs, that weren't kind at all, instead they seemed to be rather threatening.

Sebastian looked at his watch and hurried to the kitchen, giving the last indications to Abby so everything would be ready for the guests. Then he walked towards the studio, where Susanna anxiously waited.

It was 4:45 in the afternoon when Ronald ran in the shinigami realm. The words of his boss were clear and severe the day before, he had to be in his office exactly at 4:50 so they could go and speak with Susanna Serafer. The young reaper didn't want to face William's rage, but getting there in time would be almost a miracle considering the problem he had with a low rank demons who wanted to feed on a soul he had to collect. He didn't think it would take him a lot of time, so he was a few minutes late. Maybe his last chance to make it in time was jumping towards the 8th floor widows, where the Supervisor's office was… but perhaps it wouldn't be such a good idea.

He kept running and jumping among the bushes outside the office until he got to the main door and in that same building, many floors above him, a black haired reaper fixed his clothes and necktie. His image was now even more perfect than before, if that was even possible.

He took some folders from his desk and opened the door, waiting for his two subordinates to arrive. He looked at his watch: 4:48. It wouldn't be long. Any decent reaper was always on time, especially if they were from the English branch.

"Are you ready for our date, Will? I anxiously awaited the whole day for this so we can go out together, like I the old times" Grell approached with his usual attitude and a huge grin in his face.

"This is strictly business, Grell Sutcliff. And I expect you to behave accordingly" he adjusted his glasses as he invited him in his office "and that includes that… bloody vermin" he said with a disgusted voice.

"Sebas-chan! Once again we will work together…" the redhead's eyes shone.

"What do you mean by once again?... are you violating the protocols?" William glared at him.

"No! No, I mean that… Ronald! Good thing you're here!" he said with relief after seeing the other reaper.

"4:50 sharp" the blond said heavily breathing after running across the entire dispatch.

"4:50 with 30 seconds…" the boss looked at his watch "it's time to go…" he closed the door and they immediately disappeared, arriving to London's countryside, a few meters away from Serafer's residence. William compulsively looked at his watch and hurried to the entrance. They still have a few minutes before five.

"Will, dear don't you think it's a little silly to go through the front door? We all three have been inside the house before. I don't think it would be much of a problem if we just appear in the living room" Grell walked with a devil may care attitude. "besides, it's not like we hadn't appeared inside the house to keep an eye on them"

"Shall I remind you the seriousness of this matter? As good negotiators, it's only natural for us to follow the required formalities" William walked with steady steps towards the iron fence and then he rang the bell.

"In that case, we should have brought a car. That would make us look even cooler" the younger shinigami walked with his hands inside his pockets.

"A red Ferrari!" Grell yelled "I've always wanted to drive one of those"

"Gentlemen, this is serious…" William complained as the doors opened and they headed to the manor.

"Someone is grumpier than usual or… nervous?" Ronald said as a joke.

"Nobody asked for your opinion, Mr. Knox" William gave him a severe look.

It was 5 o'clock sharp when the shinigamis were right outside the house and Sebastian opened the door to receive them with his best fake smile.

"Good afternoon and welcome to the Serafer residence. Milady Susanna is expecting you in…" he couldn't finish because another voice sounded right behind him.

"Oh, come on Sebastian. It's not necessary to be so formal" the girl looked at the guest and greeted them "good afternoon. Please, come on in"

The three men walked as Susanna led them to the studio in the second floor, where all the documents and papers were ready to be studied. As they walked, Ronald looked at the paintings hanging in the wall, very impressed for the good taste of the decorations. It wasn't every day that he had the chance to visit a house like that. Even William seemed to be enjoying it in his own way.

"Have a seat, please" Susanna said from the studio door.

"Thank you" William and the other reapers sat in one of the couches of the studio, and she sat in another one, next to the Supervisor.

As for Sebastian, he remained standing next to a bookshelf, with his best manners but looking at the reapers with suspicion. He didn't like the plan at all, but he didn't have much of a choice either, so he had to keep the act.

"For what I understand, you are willing to share some information with us. An exchange, to put it in words, to face the situation which…" Susanna made a pause "is about to happen"

"That is correct, Susanna. As I told you yesterday…" William looked at Sebastian for an instant, testing his patience "…we have information about locations and even some memories which could be useful. You already know about the final linkage and the fallen angel, but I'm afraid that's not the end of it. There are many implication that could affect all of us"

"When we were in Sweden we could see some of the things those guys can do… and it was creepy" Susanna reminded the cave episode "so far we have clear that Ivan Reznik, Kraig Schneider, Ricardo Soler, Aidan Crawford and another man whose last name is Janssens-Guiillot, are involved. As you already know, I killed Reznik and Schneider, but…" suddenly she was interrupted by Abby, who knocked on the door. Sebastian opened it and helped her with t thins she was carrying "would you like a cup of tea? We also have some scones and cookies" she put a friendly smile on her face, changing the tense atmosphere in the room.

"Excellent!" said Ronald with a big smile as William looked at Susanna with a singular expression.

"Don't worry, they were all made by Abby…" she whispered in his hear after understanding why he looked at her like that.

"Oh… well, some tea would be fine" he relaxed and took the cup the made gave him.

"This tea is called Garden Harvest, made with the most exquisite and fine herbs, flowers and white teas"

"Oh, Sebas-chan, you're a know-it-all" they waited until Abby left the room to continue talking.

"The full name is Demian Janssens-Guillot" said William after drinking some tea "descendant of two of the men who started this this linkage thing. Arjen Janssens married Elsa Guillot and they had a son: Demian"

"Well, that explains a couple things…" Sebastian said "that union saved us another kill" and then he showed a devil smile on his face.

"And at the same time, made your task more difficult" Grell's tone was serious as he focused his eyes on the demon "I suppose you are aware of the hereditary powers" he made a small pause "when those two families united their powers did it too, hence the heir is more… lethal, in this case"

"Alright, let's make this clear…" Susanna's serious tone caused everyone to focus their attention in her as she stood up from the couch, leaving her up of tea in the table in front of her.

She slowly began to walk around the studio and her hands moved accordingly as she explained everything she knew about the final linkage and her family. The reapers were very interested in the informations she was giving them and Ronald took notes as he ate cookies. William's eyes followed her every move, fascinated with the fluency of her gesturing and how easily she explained everything; she had obviously investigated about the subject and knew very well what she was talking about. It was a lovely image to see.

The girl's explanation left clear that there were originally seven individuals who brought the fallen angel as part of the ritual. Seven families which were now six; five, if the Serafer family was left out. Each one with a gift of power, given by that being in order to bring him back. This time to make it definitive, as only he can complete the ritual. Up until now, they had met someone with telepathy, another one who could summon demons and objects from other dimensions, and in Sweden, someone who projected himself in different places.

As for the Serafer family, according to Richard Serafer's diary, he had the gift or clairvoyance and he could see creatures from other dimensions. That's why Susanna could see and feel any reaper nearby. On the other hand, they also have those quotes in Latin, a connection with dark runes and the two diaries with the needed rituals for bringing back the fallen angel, but as long as they had them in their hands, they could stop it from coming back. Nevertheless, nothing pointed at those men trying to get those documents.

The final linkage was a very old ritual; so old that not even ancient history tomes mention anything about it. It was surrounded in forbidden knowledge and created by a sect of nephilim and warlocks, who thought it would work as a solution to a conflict against God, but they abandoned any attempt to perform it for mysterious reasons, hiding all registries and keeping them safe for thousands of years. And they remained like that; hidden until one of Susanna's ancestors, along with his partners found it and got obsessed with it, asseverating that humans don't need God because he is only an spectator and wouldn't do anything to stop it. For self-pride or because not even him would disobey his own rules.

If such thing happened, those who made the ritual possible would have at last defeated the "almighty", proving that humans are superior to any other creatures and helping the fallen angels to avenge Him.

They all remained thoughtful after the girl's explanation. The information was hard to assimilate, as well as worrying. The fact that all creatures; physical, spiritual or inhabitants of other realms were together in the same place, would mean destruction and chaos for everyone; an imminent conflict for the supremacy and ultimately, the end of time.

Now the things were a little clearer for the shinigamis, but neither of them could hide their worried faces and the first one who broke the silence was Ronald.

"If those men brought the fallen angel, why wasn't the linkage done in that moment? And…" his expression turned very serious, even his voice tone changed "if it' supposed to be a challenge against God…" he looked at Sebastian with inculpatory and severe eyes "why are you on our side? Demons are supposed to be evil creature who antagonize Him. For what I've gathered, you have a lot to win if the final linkage takes place.

There was silence in the studio and the atmosphere became tense. Susanna had already thoughts about it. Of course, situation like that would have been enough for Sebastian to nullify the contract and help fulfilling the whole thing. Nevertheless, he hadn't done it, and yet the reasons behind his acts weren't clear. She looked at the demon for an instant, studying him, and then she turned to the shinigamis, who seemed to be ready to attack him with their death scythes.

The whole situation was about to explode. A reckless movement could enrage anyone in there and Susanna was in evident disadvantage. She felt her heart beating fast inside her chest as the silence continued, but right before she could start doubting, a heavy sigh made by Sebastian distracted her and he finally spoke.

"You reapers presume to know everything about demons, but you barely know a little more than any other being" an arrogant smile appeared in his face and he relaxed as William clenched his teeth, showing how angry he was "it is true, we are selfish creatures, inclined towards evil because it's natural for us; we feed on human souls and we enjoy anything that is morally incorrect. It is our nature and we like it that way. With that said, I should let you know that the Final Linkage would tremendously limit our actions"

Sebastian remained silent for a moment and the tension started to disappear. They all looked more relaxed than before, except for William, who was analysing his every spoken word, judging him and discerning whether or not it was true.

"Even we can foresee what is at risk if such thing happened. We prefer to be in control and a situation like that would leave us in uncharted terrains. On the other side, our rivalry with god goes far beyond good and evil, which after all are two different points of view. The paradigm of him being all kindness is way too overrated. Have you ever thought about the possibility of god not being caring at all? A demon's concept of kindness is far too different from a human's… from what you think" Sebastian looked at the three reapers and there was silence again "the Final Linkage is against my interests, as well as the other demons', so I will do anything to stop it" he laughed with irony as he crossed his arms in front of his chest "despite of being an agent of chaos, I'm not willing to let just anyone slap god in the face and take all the credit. I prefer to do it myself, and for some other reasons" his demon eyes looked at William; only he could understand what he meant.

At least it was clear now: Sebastian's intentions were to stop the final linkage. Despite his motivations, the important thing was that he was on their side. Once more, they all remained very thoughtful, not knowing exactly what to say and suddenly William's voice took them out from their reflections.

"I believe you are telling the truth" Ronald and Grell turned to look at him with disbelief. Yes, they also believed the demon's words, but the hearing it from the Supervisor of the Reaper Dispatch Society himself was something entirely new "if you were trying to complete the linkage, you would have already done it… as far as I know, you have access to the complete rituals and with your demon powers it would be easy, isn't it? Those gifts given by the fallen angel would be unnecessary for a creature such as yourself" the reaper explained, looking calmer but his gesture remained emotionless, too prudent.

"I see you've done your research, William" a little smile showed in Sebastian's lips "that is, indeed true. If I wanted to perform the ritual for the Linkage I would already done it" he told Susanna as he put his right hand on his chest with a solemn attitude "but allow me to reiterate that our contract is the most precious thing for me in this very moment, and it just happens to be compatible with my personal interests" he looked at her with the most seductive glance he could wear, leaving her speechless.

"As for the final linkage that wasn't made back then" William interrupted and looked at Ronald, who asked the question "I'm sure there was something missing,"

"A normal human being, who suddenly gets that kind of power is unable to use it immediately. Not if he wasn't born with it" explained Grell as his eyes wandered in the distance, remembering something.

"How…?" Ronald was about to ask, surprised after his partner's comment.

"The cinematic records of those men, those three or four generations, were modified before dying" Grell showed his serious side.

"What? Is that even possible?" the girl was very surprised, along with her Butler, but he didn't showed it that much.

"We suspect the fallen angel had something to do with it" William leaned back in the couch "the same happens with your family, Susanna. The cinematic records we've gathered were modified. That's why we don't have a way to know what is it they are missing to complete the ritual, and I highly doubt it's written those diaries you have" then he turned to look at the redhead "how did you get that information Grell?"

"Many decades ago, I collected a man's soul. He isn't related to this situation at all, but he was an occultism enthusiast, someone who studied psychic abilities and managed to develop telekinesis, but he couldn't master it during his lifetime. Instead, his son could after inherit the gift. I think that's what stopped them from completing the Linkage back then"

"Do you think they can do it now?" the blond seemed confused.

"If they are already capable of summoning demons type D, Odin's spear and project themselves in a faraway distance, I don't know what other updates they could get" the dark haired reaper fixed his glasses and sighed "that, among some other things, leads me to think it is about to be done. During my years as a shinigami, this is the first time I've seen something like this happening. Modified cinematic records, summonings and disappeared souls… On June the 6th, 200 uncollected souls disappeared"

"June 6th… wasn't that the day when I killed Schneider? She asked "the day those demons appeared"

"I'm sure you don't mean…?" Sebastian seemed incredulous as he looked at the Supervisor, who nodded "it's the first time after thousands of years that I've heard about those invocations. I almost remember the last time…"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Susanna felt a little frustrated as she yelled.

"Those 200 souls were human sacrifices. They died so Kraig Schneider could summon those demons"

William's stand was rigid as he explained the situation. It was a very delicate matter, and sharing dispatch exclusive information didn't make things easier. He had always keep with apprehension any business related to his work, and having to share confidential data with a demon didn't like him at all, nevertheless he knew it was necessary. As Sebastian as Susanna had the information they were missing, aside of the means to stop the fallen angel.

After a pause started to explain that the missing souls weren't just in London. According to his investigations, the same thing had happened in other countries' offices; specifically in China, Russia, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Algeria and Sudan. The same countries Sebastian and Susanna already knew were an excellent market for weapon trading, and not only that. The business of Schneider, Soler, Crawford and Janssens-Guillot weren't limited to war; people trafficking was one of their main activities, and to make things worse those people were used as human sacrifices.

Another thing those countries had in common, was that during the last year they had suffered natural disasters that devastated small cities. That couldn't be a coincidence, and the chaos and disorder caused by them, was well exploited by those men, who managed to kidnap people and promote armed conflicts.

"Oh my, those guys have everything planned" said a rather helpless Ronald.

"The Higher ups assigned us to resolve this situation, whatever it takes" William's expression became darker.

"I see, that's why you found yourself in need of cooperate with us… with a demon" Sebastian was enjoying himself way too much. It was an enormous satisfaction to know that the reapers didn't have another choice but to go to Susanna; to him, in other words.

"That is correct. We know you have information about the ritual and I suspect you can stop it from happening" he looked at Susanna, who was still sitting in the couch, very silent and assimilating all.

"That's right!" Ronald suddenly moved to the edged of his seat "that day in the cave you found the journal with the spells, but there was something else… that I couldn't listen completely. That might be the key"

"It is, indeed" the girl said with cold voice, standing up and walking towards her desk, where she kept her grandfather's journal. She took it and hesitated a little before opening it in the right page. Then she started to read.

" _April 20th, 1987_

 _During this long journey I've managed to gather more information about the final linkage. The little knowledge I inherited from my father wasn't enough to understand the reaching of the ritual. Now I know that only an almost divine power would be capable of completing it. That is why they need the fallen angel. Once he is here, only a woman will be able to complete the ritual, or stop it. She has to be a descendant of one of us. It is necessary that she has our blood, as it is a primordial link. She also must have certain characteristics; not just any blood is adequate and everything gets more complicated because as a consequence of getting our gifts, it is hard for us to breed girls._

 _The gifts get stronger as they are inherited by a male. So far, the only one who has managed to have a daughter was Guillot. Thank God she wasn't strong enough to endure the ritual consequences._

 _There are days when I beg that my son Uriel doesn't breed any girls; some others I wish he does, because if such woman is the descendant of the other families, it would only be a matter of haunting the last of the Serafers to make the Linkage come true. It's a very complicated ritual, which imply many circumstances and powers I will not describe to avoid spreading the knowledge, but to my descendant; the one who's reading this journal, you should know that this woman could die in the process. Her bloodshed and the creating force are what is needed to complete it."_

A sepulchral silence filled the room. No one knew what to say and neither of them dared to look at the girl, except of Sebastian, who was already aware of the journal's content since they were in Sweden and he looked at Susanna's expression. As for Grell and Ronald, they looked at each other with fear in their eyes, while William seemed rather restless, with hundreds of thoughts and ideas flying inside his head.

"Well, now we know that if my blood is the right one, they won't try to kill me…" she tried to joke about it in an attempt to relax the atmosphere.

"Oh, come on darling. Don't say that" Grell stood up and approached her "I think we do have an advantage. As long as you are in our side, we have the last piece and, somehow, the control, don't we?" he looked at the others and smiled at Susanna "besides, they don't have a way to ascertain that your blood is the right one. That could be a benefit too"

"That is correct, and as always I will take care of the Lady's security" assured Sebastian with solemnity "but we better hurry to find Ricardo Soler. He seems to be the next in our list, and he is the one who appeared in that cave, back in Sweden"

"That's right, Sebas-chan. As assertive as always" the redhead ran towards the butler to embrace him, but he easily dodged him, causing that Grell crashed against one of the bookshelves.

"Sempai!" the blonde reaper managed to say after seeing three encyclopaedia tomes falling on the other reaper's head.

"Grell Sutcliff… I believe I told you to behave" William sounded annoyed and after a small pause he continued "now that everything about this situation is clear, we offer you our help to find those men. We can share information about them and, of course, we won't interfere in their… elimination, as long as we can collect their souls" he looked at Susanna with persuasive eyes, making it obvious he was referring to Sebastian "besides, we can offer you protection"

"It is enough with me by her side" the butler argued immediately, looking at William with threatening attitude, which was answered with a similar look.

"Sounds good to me" she hurried to break the tension and smiled at the reapers "we could definitely use more help… but what do you expect in return?"

"Just that you keep us informed and that… you stop that Linkage whatever it takes"

Now that they agreed to cooperate, any plan or action would have to be informed by both sides; in other words, they would have to be aware of their activities.

They kept discussing and analysing the situation for about another hour and then the reapers were ready to leave. Sebastian and Susanna walked them to the main door, where Ronald got distracted with the Rolls Royce Phantom that Thomas was washing. Taking advantage of such distraction, William took Susanna's arm so she would follow him.

They both walked a few meters away from the others. The reaper's attitude was solemn and quiet.

"Susanna, I want you to have this" he turned to see if there was anyone looking at them and the he took a small object from his jacket. Then he took the girl's hand and put it in her palm.

"Is this a whistle?" she seemed confused; why would William give her something like that? And with so much secrecy and ceremony.

"The reaper's realm isn't directly connected to the human world and there are only a few methods to keep in touch" he explained as she looked at the small and thin whistle. Apparently, it was made of silver and it felt so cold to her touch "if you need to speak with me, or any of us, just use it and a messenger will come"

"A Messenger?" reapers' customs never failed to surprise her, but in that moment she was more interested in William's sweet glance.

"Indeed. You should only write a note and give it to her… or him. They will take care of the rest" he didn't smile, but his expression seemed calm.

"And, could it be at any time?" she smiled to herself as if she was imagining something,

"You can use it whenever you want" he made a pause and then got closer to her to whisper in her ear, still, he kept a prudent distance "especially if that blithering idiot is bothering you" for an instant she was sure William smiled when he said the last part.

"Understood" she laughed and before she could say anything else, Ronald's voice calling his boss was heard.

"We have to leave for now. Thank you very much for your hospitality" he nodded with his head and then walked towards the other reapers, heading to the main door, where they disappeared after a buzz in the distance.

Meanwhile, and without Susanna noticing it, Sebastian appeared right behind her. When she saw him, she almost jumped. She didn't expect him to be so close.

"Is everything alright, Milady?"

"Gosh! Don't scare me like that. I thought you were still talking with Thomas…" she complained "and yes, everything is fine. Why you ask?"

"I thought that maybe Mr Spears would be bothering you somehow, and it's my duty to protect you from any…"

"Nonsense…" she entered the house, heading towards the studio and then after a moment she told him "you know? I think it's time to complete the acquisition of the new building for AstraZeneca's offices" and then she locked up herself in there, leaving Sebastian with no other choice but to nod.

 _ **Author's Notes.**_

 _ **Hi everyone!**_

 _ **Sorry for the late update. There were some problems with fafiction net, and I took a little break, so I couldn't upload this one earlier. Also, as I'm sure you've notices this one was a little dense, so it took me a little longer to translate it. I hope you had great holydays and that 2016 will be an awesome year for you!**_

 _ **Deadxxxmoon: I kow…hahaha he seems the type for doing that kind of things.**_

 _ **TfallingangelT: You know? I realised something with your comment… yes, is something more "lustful" with Sebastian, ad well he's a demon, so he's supposed to cause some kind of temptation. With Will is different, it's something more romantic. BUT it's only a matter of time before Sebastian does something more interesting. In his own way. Let's see what happens with them.**_


	20. A walk

Chapter 20. A walk.

The next morning, Susanna took care of the paperwork to acquire the new building for AstraZeneca's office. It was just a matter of signing some papers and checks so the transactions could be completed. She finished with all that by noon, and then she had a videocall with her dad. She was very anxious to tell him about the latest news… or at least as many as she could. She felt relieved every time she spoke to him, telling him about her nerves, anxieties and fears. He always had a word of comfort for her, but she felt somehow guilty for not telling him the whole story. Still, she enjoyed talking to him.

Right after finishing the call she looked at her desk, where she saw a pile of papers, photographs, addresses and that quote in Latin that she found in her grandfather's letters. Her head started to ache as soon as she saw them and she leaned on the chair, sighing and turning at the window. And then, an idea came to her mind.

She wasn't sure if it was the most adequate thing to do, but at least she would be giving in to one of her whims, as well as having another point of view about her doubts.

Making sure there was no one nearby, she closed the door. She was specifically wishing for Sebastian being somewhere else. Lucky for her, he was cleaning the silverware. A task that would take him at least an hour, so she locked the door and opened the window. Then she took out of her jeans' pocket the small whistle William gave her, and she used it.

A minute after that, a grey pigeon entered the studio and landed on the desk. The bird's eyes fixed in her.

"A messenger, huh?... I should have known. Very well, let's see" she sat in the chair and wrote a small note. Then she tied it to the pigeon's foot and it flew until she was lost in the sky.

About fifteen minutes later, someone knocked the studio's door and she stood up to open it.

"Milady, there are two shinigamis at the door…" the butler's attitude told her he was waiting for an explanation.

"So fast?... I thought it would take longer and…" Sebastian was confused "eh… I called them…"

"Is that so…?" was the only thing he could say as he walked right behind her, heading to the main lobby, where next to the door, Grell and William waited.

"Susanna" the dark haired reaper started to talk "we came here as soon as I got your message. What happened?" he seemed serious and worried at the same time; it might be an urgent matter, and suddenly a loud noise was heard. An ornamental plate fell into the floor and distracted everyone.

"Ups…"was all Grell could say. He was looking closely at the plate before it fell.

"Please, don't touch anything" the butler picked it up and made sure it wasn't broken. As for William, he just glared at his subordinate.

"It's nothing urgent, it's just that we have a list of places where those men could be hiding and…" she looked at the demon "Sebastian, could you go with Grell and check out those addresses we wrote down yesterday? We need to gather information and an entrance route"

"Miss?" the butler seemed confused.

"You two could pass unseen. We wouldn't want to lose the surprise element, and I would only be in your way…. Besides, I would like to ask William a couple things about what happened in the past…" Sebastian frowned and raised an eyebrow, showing his disapproval and then she hurried to say "it's an order"

"… Understood…"

"Unless, of course William wants to check those addresses personally" she glanced at him, trying to persuade him to say no. Grell did the same as a wide grin appeared in his face and nodded.

"I don't see any inconvenience on it…" he adjusted his glasses "Mr. Sutcliff has certain talent to field tasks. On top of that, I was the one who reviewed you family's cinematic records" undoubtedly he liked the idea of spending time alone with Susanna.

"Oh dear, it's going to be just you and me, Sebas-chan… it's just like a date!"

The redhead approached the Butler with a flirty attitude, and Sebastian answered with a heavy sign of resignation as they walked towards the garage to get the car and head to London, and right before entering, he looked at the girl, hoping she would change her mind, but she didn't see him because she was talking with the black haired reaper, heading to the back garden.

"What do you want to talk about?" he asked with curiosity and professional attitude.

"It's about something I found in some letters. It's related to my grandfather and… I supposed you would know more about it…. Do you want ice tea?" the casual voice she used took him by surprise and she led out a small laugh "I thought we could talk in the garden. There's a nice weather and it's rather hot. Ice tea is refreshing and…"

"Sounds good…" the expression on his face became softer and she guided him to the garden.

"Just give me one second, ok?"

William nodded and looked at her as she went inside the house to tell Abby about the drinks and pick up some papers from her studio. It wasn't long before she came back and meanwhile the reaper relaxed in the garden chair, admiring the nice view. It was summer, there were flowers everywhere and the perfectly trimmed bushes made it all even prettier. The pond was a few meters away from the table and it sent peaceful vibes with the water sound and the small bridge that crossed it, which seemed to be from a Druid legend.

Suddenly the girl's voice took him out of his contemplating state and when he turned to look at her, he saw her approaching with a book and a folder. Abby was right behind her, carrying a mug and two glasses.

"There's something I'd like to ask you" she said once the ice tea was server and Abby went inside the manor.

"I suppose that's why you sent the demon away" his face showed no emotions.

"There's some of that too…" she showed him a flirty smile and took a sheet of paper from the folder "I would like your opinion about this"

"Let's see" he too the paper and took a look at it. Then he turned it and started to read out loud " _Congregati septem, adducebunt illum. Dum Deus sit mortus, tantum gladius et diabolus praebalebunt adversus eum"_ his London accent disappeared as he said it and the words came out paused and reflexive. He didn't seem to have problems pronouncing them or understand them; it was almost as if he was saying a religious plea or a lecture by an Oxford academic and something in his face became solemn and serene.

"I didn't know you spoke Latin. That's why I wrote the translation in the back of the paper"

"A few centuries ago, Latin was fundamental in education, so…" he put back the paper on the table.

"I see" she started to wonder and imagine the century when William had lived and what kind of person was he before becoming a reaper, but before she started to question him, he spoke.

"I believe the seven are the seven families that brought the fallen angel for the first time"

"I think the same thing, but the rest is very confusing…"

"I believe it's referring to that other quote in Latin…" he made a pause, waiting for the girl's reaction. He knew that if he repeated the quote she would have another attack, and that was the last thing he wanted "it could mean that, as long it's the same objectives, mediums and rites, only a sword and certain individual could stand against them. I know what you told us yesterday was about you, but this is different. It's metaphorical language and apparently the words gladius and diabolus are fundamental.

"If only we knew their true meaning…"

"Gladius… sword… in ancient Rome, gladiators fought against fierce beasts. Someone has to fight him, that's clear. But diabolus doesn't have another relation. Maybe it refers to the eternal battle between good and evil. Personally, I think if they believe God is dead, the Devil should be as well. They are opposites, like ying and yang; one against the other" he explained as he cleaned his classes with a handkerchief.

"Maybe we missed something…."

Susanna scratched her head in frustration. She felt as if she was stuck and that, despite killing those guys, if she didn't understand what was behind all that, everything could repeat itself in the future. As for William, he noticed the worry in her face and after putting on his glasses he tried to calm her.

"I'm sure we'll find something else. Your grandfather used to leave messages in code and he was a rather fond of riddles. This shouldn't be an exception.

"Maybe. It's just that I'm never sure of having all the pieces and I fear I missed something" she took the journal and opened it. Suddenly she found two photographs of her grandmother and looked at them for a moment "she knew Sebastian wasn't a normal person, but she never knew what was haunting the family"

"That's right" there was another pause and he looked at the pond, arranging his ideas "I can't show you a cinematic record, but I can tell you that Eleanor Serafer witnessed many things that could help us. It's thanks to her that we know the Janssens-Guillot family leads the organization. She was also the only one who knew where her son Uriel was, but she hid it from your grandfather, for security reasons. After returning from Sweden, Richard became very paranoid and that was the reason" he pointed at the journal with the enchantment "thanks to her, we also learned what those souls were used for. Right before dying, Schneider told her everything. In the end, she understood why things happened that way"

"It must have been difficult…"

"That… minger prat didn't told you the circumstances of your grandfathers death, did he?" she moved her head in a negative answer and William drank his ice tea before telling her about it.

During Richard Serafer's last years, his mind was invaded with paranoia and his wife worried so much about him, especially when an individual dressed in black appeared in the manor and who was always next to him: Sebastian. Apparently, during his journey to Sweden, Richard learned how to make contracts with demons, and s his prime task was to take care of them. Unfortunately, Eleanor Serafer started to investigate by herself and died by the hand of Janssens-Guillot, the exact same say her husband was victim from an attack made by those same men. As expected, the demon considered his master's security as top priority and Eleanor died instead.

It was a tragic event that only made Richard accumulate more bitterness inside his heart. By then, Thomas already suspected what Sebastian really was, but he didn't do anything about it; his trust on his boss was almost blind. Later on, and following the demon's advises, Fer and Abby were hired to protect the family's descendants. By that time Sebastian only showed his presence to Susanna's grandfather and wore a mask in case anyone saw him; he was obviously up to something and the day Richard Serafer died, everything was disguised as another attack, but his soul was consumed by Sebastian Michaelis.

"Looks like the whole situation was rather convenient for Sebastian" she remained thoughtful after listening to William's explanation.

"Quite convenient, and if I may say it…"

"He was planning on making a contract with me since then" her tone was cold and she looked at the ground as her eyes showed disappointment.

"That's why I don't trust demons…" there was silence for a moment and then William got closer to her, he even rested his arm on the back of her chair in a protective way "I know we can trust him for stopping the Final Linkage, but I wouldn't trust him with anything else"

"If you say so, then it must be true… stopping the Linkage, I mean" she sighed "I will have to confront him about it and perhaps force him to tell me the truth, but my soul was doomed from the beginning anyways" she took the folder from the table and a few folded papers fell down. William too them and read them "it's a letter my grandpa sent my grandma many years ago… before they married. It's a love letter" her smile was nostalgic and William noticed it, so he decided to distract her a little.

"Why don't we take a little walk?" he stood up, inviting her to follow him.

The reaper took off his jacked and put it on the chair; the weather was too hot to keep it. Then they started to walk. Despite the hot temperature, the day was very nice and there weren't clouds in the sky. The pond showed beautiful reflexes in blue tones and the air moved the water in a mesmerizing way.

They went through a path that led them to a flower field as the talked about more cheerful subjects and then the subject of her grandfather came up again.

"It seems like you know more about my grandparents than anyone. Did he send a lot of letters?"

"Yes, he did. Quite a lot" he looked at the sky, remembering the cinematic record "your grandpa liked riddles a lot and letters weren't an exception. For each one he sent, there was a hidden message and when they were put together they formed a whole new message"

"It seems like he put special attention in every little detail" she smiled at this new image of him.

"And things were very different on the 70's…" William explained and a small shine appeared in his eyes "and you should have seen the past century! Courting a woman was a complex process where every small detail counted"

"Really?... you were here during that time, how was it?"

"I was already a reaper by that time, but according to the cinematic records and my observations, there were many traditions. For example, I couldn't walk next to you without my jacket, regardless the hot weather. The couples took walks in courtyards, gardens and parks and a chaperon had to accompany them. Yes, the main activity, besides having tea and formal visits, were walks.

"You mean… like this?" her lips showed a small smile and her eyes were flirty.

"Yes, like this…" William's voice was soft and he delighted with her eyes "but for that, the suitor had to deliver a written invitation and wait for the confirmation to it, like a presentation card asking the Lady to accompany him for a walk, specifying the time and place. Of course, if she was interested she would send back a confirmation"

"Wow, that's a complex procedure… what others things they did to court someone?"

"You would be surprised to know how many of those procedures are still used" he suddenly stopped next to a bush, his back to her "flowers, for example. People used to put special attention its meaning. Each one meant something different, but ever since then, sending flowers was part of courting a Lady" then he turned to face Susanna and his hand held a small blue flower, which he offered to her "like this…" he repeated her own words and smiled.

"Will…" she couldn't help but blush as she took the flower and smelled its perfume "and what does this one mean?"

"Part of the charm was that the young miss had to investigate the meaning behind it"

"then I guess I got some homework to do…" they both smiled and kept walking and talking until Sebastian and Grell came back with information about Crawford's and Soler's whereabouts.

As soon as they showed up in the garden, the first thing Susanna noticed was her butler's suffering expression as he walked next to Grell, who held his arm effusively. Not much imagination was needed to figure out how was their afternoon.

"We're back. Will darling did you miss me?"

"You really can't get enough…" whispered Sebastian as they approached Susanna and the other reaper.

"What did you find out?" she asked.

"You better take a seat…" the butler said as he intended to refill the jar of ice tea and bring more glasses. Meanwhile, Grell made a detailed explanation about the places they visited to find those men.

They were in at least seven different addresses; most of them were decoys and many had traps, but there was a real office that helped them find an abandoned factory on the bans of the Thames, near St. Andrew's Road, where the kidnapped people were taken to perform the sacrifices.

"We found a note in the office, saying that on July 23rd the next one would take place. The shipment would arrive at 4 PM and everything would start at 5. Crawford and Soler will be there" Grell explained.

"Excellent! Then we could infiltrate while you get their cinematic records…"

"I'm afraid it won't be that easy, Milady. We went also to this factory and it's abandoned for now, but it's heavily guarded. The only way in is by the river and for that we would need a special navigation permission, which as soon as it's requested, their infiltrated men in the government will alert Aidan Crawford and our plan will fail" Sebastian seemed serious. Getting inside that factory will be complicated.

"Besides, you are being watched" Grell added.

"What did you say?" Susanna was surprised and her face seemed worried "Sebastian?" she was waiting for an explanation.

"I'm afraid that's true, Miss. Since yesterday I noticed there was a car outside the manor. Naturally, I got rid of them, but when Grell and I went out, another car was there"

"Lucky for us, they didn't see us going out, but they're still there"

"I don't think killing all those who are watching you is such a good idea" William told Sebastian as if he was scolding him "if you get rid of one of them, another one will soon come to replace him and so on"

"They might leave us alone if we get rid of Soler and Crawford" Susanna thought out loud, without knowing what to do and then something came up in her mind "July 23rd you say?" Grell nodded "if I recall correctly… there's an event on that date… a party organized by the son of one of the most important entrepreneurs in the UK; a junior... what? I read it in one of those social magazines" she explained after noticing the confused look on the guys "conveniently, the party is in his private yacht. It will be like a party boat"

"But if we go to that party, they will know. They are watching us" the butler said and en he thought for a moment as spoke again after a few seconds "why don't we organize your birthday party that day?... the dates are near" an evil smile appeared in his face and then they started to make the plan.

 _ **Authors notes:**_

 _ **Hi everyone! This chapter was lighter that the last one… I thought we could use some rest and a little romance… and for the ones who ship Sebastian with Susanna, don't worry. He has maaaany aces under his sleeve. Just wait and see.**_

 _ **By the way, in case you don't remember what the quote I Latin means, here it is: together, the seven will bring it back. While God is dead, only the blade and the devil could win against him.**_

 _ **TfallingangelT: To be honest… after writing this fanfic I ended up head over the hills for Will. I liked him a lot before starting the fic and he was one of the reasons why I did it, but now it's like… omg, I'm in love with a fictional character! So, what I'm trying to say is… yeap, I think Susanna would be better with him… although I'm supposed to be neutral on that, since Sebastian is there as well and I'm the one writing the story, so feel like I'm supposed to be as objective as possible, but… well, you know. And after this chapter you can imagine how hard it is for me lol**_

 _ **Have a nice weekend!**_


	21. Her grandfather's contract

Her grandfather's contract.

Night of July 22nd. Susanna was relaxing in her room's balcony drinking a chocolate milkshake especially prepared by Sebastien, who often refused to reveal the secret ingredient of it, although she was pretty sure it was some unusual type of cocoa and cherry… he spoiled her sometimes. She was laying in one of the couches when she heard some steps approaching.

"Is there anything you need, Milady? Tomorrow is going to be a though day and you should rest well" the butler spoke with a soft tone as he stood next to the couch. During the past few days Susanna was rather distant; she couldn't stop thinking and suspecting about the demon's plans and intentions, and things got worse when she thought about what happened between them in Sweden, all kinds of possibilities ran through her head and the feeling of being part of a greater scheme made by Sebastian himself didn't have her happy at all. Nevertheless, she had a hard time resisting his charms.

"It's still early and I'm not sleepy" there was silence for a moment "everything is ready, right?"

"Everything, just as we planned it" they both remained silent for a little while "you seem more serious than usual, is there anything bothering you?" he was determined to find out what was making her act like that; distant.

"Sebastian… what kind of contract did you have with my grandfather? What did he ask in exchange of his soul?" he remained silent for a couple instants. In fact, he wasn't expecting a question like that, and he wondered about the reasons behind it "it's just that everything…. Seemed to fit so perfectly, as if it was all carefully calculated so I would take care of all this mess and most of all, that you would get his soul … and eventually mine"

Right after she said that, Sebastian walked towards the edge of the balcony, touching the stair rail with his right hand, still not facing Susanna, who was expectant and waiting for his answer.

"It's only normal that you thin something like that. After all, I am the big winner in this whole situation, isn't it?" he finally understood what was going on.

He remained there, without facing her and suddenly he jumped and sat in the stair rail with a smooth movement, making it look so easy to sit there and keep the balance, not falling down. Then he crossed his legs and sided his head as a cynic and evil smile appeared in his face. In that very moment, Susanna knew it wasn't his butler she was speaking with… it was the demon.

"Everything fitted so perfectly that it seemed like it was planned from the beginning… it was just a matter of time before that thought came to your mind, nevertheless…" his eyes shone but they didn't look threatening "… I can't help but think that William had something to do with it. He would take any opportunity to put you against me and show you a real demon's intentions" he made a pause and looked at the sky for a short moment. The stars were beautiful contrasting with the dark night, just as he liked it: light trying to defeat eternal darkness. He smiled again for Susanna as he sighed.

"Tell me about the conditions of that contract" she knew he was right and although she had thought about it before, that talk she had with William left her full of doubts.

"Let me tell you a story" the smile remained in his face and his demonic and shiny eyes seemed to burn as the memories came back to him "it's a tale about a man sentenced by his own destiny; much more than any other being, but that was exactly what made him special… his character and decisions along his life were what defined him. Him and his soul" Sebastian made another pause as he remembered the exquisite hues of the last soul he ate. He closed his eyes for a few seconds and then continued "the contract I made with Richard Serafer consisted in two things. One, that I should keep him and his wife safe. And number two, that I had to prepare everything so the fallen angel could be stopped. After his death I would have to find that descent; that son or daughter of Uriel and who should be very well hidden somewhere in the world"

Susanna was rather shocked after hearing those words. Even having the possibility, his grandfather didn't ask for the whole mess to be stopped. Why?... uncertainty should have been reflected in her face because Sebastian immediately laughed in silence and looked at the floor. A dark bang that covered part of his face made him look dangerously handsome.

"Richard was a man full of secrets and evidently that didn't make my work easier. Of course I don't hold it against him; I only wanted his soul and the contract could led me to another potential contract with a soul as… interesting… as his. I knew he was planning something for his descendant, which means, you…" he continued the explanation with a casual voice tone and glanced at the garden but something in his attitude told Susanna he was very aware of her and her reactions "did I know this would happen? No. Was it a possibility? Yes, but even for me, the results have been rather… unexpected. A beautiful surprise, if you asked" he gave her a quick glance and then continued talking "I believe he knew he couldn't stop the angel, so he laid his hopes in his descendant, wishing that it was a woman, for everything you already know"

"And that descendant just happened to be me…" she pointed out.

"That is correct and before contacting you I spent a lot of time watching you from the shadows, studying your behavior and daily life; trying to understand the reasons behind your acts. You always had that special something that made you different from anyone else, and not just because of your family's gift and how you dealt with it. You live according to your beliefs… something so tempting to corrupt…"

"But I'm not the same person. Everything changed since I… met you"

"That's right and now you have me impressed with your character's evolution and…" that last word drowned in the back of his throat because he noticed Susanna adopting a defensive attitude "as you know… I'm a demon. The smartest thing to do is not trusting me, but…" he jumped off the stair rail and sat next to her, a gesture she didn't expect and took her by surprise. His closeness made her feel uneasy but she didn't think about moving, not even for an instant "… but I'm not just any demon, and you now it. Every day you fight against the instinct of trusting me, but you already do it and you know it. Otherwise you wouldn't have me guarding your grandfather's journals"

"You are tied by a contract" she tried to justify herself.

"There is just a tiny part of you left before you completely trust in me; that fear of what might happen" then his eyes looked at her. They weren't demon eyes, but human. Red and… sincere? They weren't threatening and Susanna was unable to stop looking at them. There was something captivating that kept her trapped in them. Then, without her noticing, Sebastian took off the white glove from the hand where the seal was "in this very moment I'm completely devoted to you, but my devotion could be permanent and even more transcendental; it could be more than that. Something that would tie me to you for much, much longer, if you want me to... if that is your desire…" there was another silence "that day in Sweden… we could repeat it. As many times as you want"

He was sitting next to her, his eyes almost piercing her. Attractive as hell, dangerous as the Devil himself, and she wanted him with all his evil and faults. Just the way he was.

The demon' eyes slowly became pinker, feline and mesmerizing as his naked hand delicately caressed Susanna's neck, right where his mar was. His fingertips sent electric impulses to her body; warm and vibrant. She felt her cheeks blushing, still not able to take her eyes off him, those eyes that looked at her like never before and told her a thousand things as intense as the words he just said.

Sebastian remained completely immobile, except for his fingers that still touched her.

He knew very well that nothing would happen that night, so a few instants later he stood up from the couch and walked away, adopting his usual butler behavior. Solemn and with a kind smile.

"I believe it's time for you to sleep. Tomorrow will be a difficult day. Do you want me to prepare some tea for you?"

"No, it's alright" she answered as soon as she managed to get out of that nearly-trance state she was in, provoked not by the effect the demon had in her, but for a strange feeling that flowed inside of her, a pleasuring feeling. Then, she stood up slowly and entered the room, walking towards the bathroom to wash her teeth.

Before the butler left the room, Susanna looked at the book where she let the flower William gave her, where she was drying it to use it as a bookmark and she suddenly asked Sebastian.

"What is the name of those flowers we have in the garden? The blue ones nearby the pond" her voice appeared to be cold.

"Those flowers… they are called f _orget me not_ " she was speechless, not able to make a sound as if she was frozen "is something wrong?" he butler asked with curiosity.

"No… it's nothing. See you tomorrow" she turned around, hiding her face and blush. She was really facing a complicated crossroad this time…

The next day, Susanna woke up without the help of her clock or her butler. She couldn't sleep well because of the constant flow of thoughts in her mind. The image of Sebastian in the balcony and his words resonating in her ears. And then, William's eyes and the memories of their talks. Oh how she loved to complicate her life! She thought. The worst thing that could happen in her situation was exactly what was happening to her.

She took a shower and when she went out the dresser she noticed Sebastian waiting for her with the schedule for the day and a small table with her breakfast.

"Good morning, Milady. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, thank you" she lied.

"I'm glad to hear that. I took the liberty to bring you breakfast because the arrangements for the party are being held downstairs and I'm afraid it's quite noisy with all that people walking around"

"Good idea" she slightly smiled "do you have the dress?"

"Yes, I put it in your bed, next to the mask and the rest of your outfit. The party will start around two in the afternoon but we can start with all the arrangements"

"Excellent. That would give me a few hours to review everything"

And so it was. At one o'clock sharp, Susanna started with the party's arrangements. The makeup artist arrived punctual and around one thirty, Susanna was ready to put on her outfit. This time she would wear an elegant dress in red wine color with a pair straps that held it from her shoulders, showing her back. She wore a wide necklace in black and a mask with the same colors, which perfectly combined with her outfit.

As soon as she was ready she went down the stairs to meet a group of waiters who were ready to tart with the event and then she met her butler, who wore a very elegant black suit, tailor made, with little white details in the flap and a vest. His necktie was the same color and the shirt was white. His mask was black as well and with tiny shiny stones on the right side, and of course his white gloves couldn't be missing. He looked dashing and flirty, especially with that hairstyle Susanna liked so much, not to mention that the suit showed the magnificent body he had.

"You look beautiful, Milady" he said as soon as he faced her.

"Thanks" she kindly smiled, pleased was well after seeing how handsome he looked and smelling the delicious aroma of his cologne "I suppose everything is ready…"

"That is indeed correct, Miss. The waiters are ready, the scenery is set as well as the screen and as soon as the guest begin to arrive, we could start with the party"

Minutes after that, the first guests arrived and the butler received them with the best hospitality he knew. They were, mostly, associates and investors of AstraZeneca, as well as important and vital people for the plan to work out. The first of them, the man in charge of the Customs for the UE and England and who held a close relation with Aidan Crawford.

There were also a few young men, sons of important entrepreneurs who were conveniently related or were friends of Demian's and Ricardo Soler's sons. They were specially invited to the party, to make sure they witnessed Susanna being there.

Of course, being a masquerade, everyone had to wear a mask, but Susanna made sure to take hers off so people would recognize her, especially her special guests. Suddenly, one of the main investors of the company approached her.

"Susanna, at last I find you"

"Mister Giggs, it's a pleasure to have you here at the party" she answered with a big grin.

"On the contrary, it was a great idea to make one celebration for your birthday and the company's anniversary"

"I'm glad you liked the idea, and wait until you see the ballet" oh, by the way, I wanted to ask you to say a few words for the opening of the event. What do you say?"

"If course!" said the man with happiness.

"Excellent. Come with me, please"

A little after that, the waiters indicated the guest to go to the back garden, where everything was set, along with a scenery for the ballet and many chairs for the assistants.

As soon as they were sat, Susanna took off her mask and grabbed the microphone to start with the speech

"Ladies and gentlemen… First of all, I would like to thank you for being here today. We are celebrating two important dates for me. First, the anniversary of AstraZeneca. Since the moment came to this country I've been following my grandfather's steps. I've fought really hard so his legacy could grow more every day and I'm very proud of being part of this great company. Today on its 83rd anniversary, I'm happy to announce that we'll keep doing the best so the pharmaceutical industry could be one of the most successful and socially responsible worldwide. I would like to thank each and everyone here today for your all efforts and time given to this company, and that's why I would also like to share the joy of living one more year with you, and what better way than to celebrate my birthday with a masquerade. I've made sure that this day and night is full of entertainment, food, drinks and fun for everyone. Thank you so much for being here. And now, some words by one of our investors, Mr. Giggs"

Everyone in the public clapped their hands and cheered as she went down the scenery and walked to her seat. Then, Sebastian approached her discreetly to tell her about a little inconvenience that she would have to take care of.

She entered the house and then, after making sure no one else saw them, they went to the basement, but not before letting Abby and Fer know about the beginning of the plan:

While Susanna and Sebastian went to the boat party, sneaking out without anyone noticing, Abby and Fer would take their places at the party. The masquerade was an important part of the whole plan, because their faces would be hidden and no one would notice their true identities. Lucky for them, their complexions were similar and with a wig and the necessary accessories, no one would notice. The goal was to deceive the man in charge of the Customs and the young guests.

Aside of that, and as part of the celebration, there would be a video and some speeches from the investors and leaders of AstraZeneca, which would take at least 45 minutes, and after that, a special event: the Sleeping Beauty ballet, so they would have more than three hours to get rid of Aidan Crawford and Ricardo Soler before anyone could notice their absence. Of course, both employees were ready and prepared to distract the guest and act accordingly.

A few curious eyes followed Susanna and Sebastian when they got into the house, but no one noticed the change and there were no suspicions. Abby sat in Susanna's seat, calm and doing her best performance, while Fer remained behind the chairs and the public to supervise everything. As for Mr. Haggard, he made sure that no one would get nearby the basement, which was the escape route as well as the entrance.

About five minutes after Sebastian and Susanna sneaked out, they went out a hidden door in the basement, behind the bushes and trees which served as a barrier so they wouldn't be seen. Right after they were out, the butler took the girl in his arms and jumped the electrified fence, which naturally made her scream in surprise.

"For once in your life, Sebastian, could you at least let me know you're up to something before I get a heart attack?" she complained as she surrounded him by the get to get a grip.

"I'm really sorry, Milady but we need to hurry" he said as he ran in speed record towards the place where he had hidden a rental car, especially for the occasion "besides, I think you might even find this little trip enjoyable" he smiled with mischievousness and flirt in his eyes as he kept running.

"This and roller coasters are way too far from being enjoyable, or being in my bucket list" she tried to make her voice sound serene and he answered with a negative gesture of his head.

"Oh, but your dilated pupils and heartbeats tell me otherwise. Besides I have a few things in mind that could prove to be… enjoyable" his voice was seductive and soft in the girl's ears and she immediately tried to kick him to he would stop his teasing but he only smiled with satisfaction "that only makes thinks even more entertaining"

"Sebastian…" her voice was persuasive but in fact, she didn't dislike the whole situation at all. The butler remained silent the rest of the little trip. When they arrived to the secret place, and as soon as Susanna was stepping on solid ground again, he opened the trunk to take out the suitcase with the change of clothes "I'll do it!" she went ahead, since she wanted to put some distance between them. She took out her bag pack with clothes and hanged it on her shoulder. Then she took Sebastian's suit bag and held it with both hands so it wouldn't fall.

Everything was going according to the plan…

 _ **Author's notes:**_

 _ **Hey guys! I hope you liked this chapter. Personally, I enjoyed it a lot… I just loved Sebastian's attitude and explanations, and I'm sure you will find the ongoing plan as amusing and exciting as I planed it to be.**_

 _ **TfallingangelT: I now, right? He's… well, how can one describe William?... he would be eccentric and romantic on his own way, and too serious, but at the same time very sweet. I don't know xD I can totally picture him like that.**_

 _ **Take care!**_


	22. Wrecking thunders

Chapter 22. Wrecking thunders

Instants later a buzz was heard a few meters ahead the car and the reapers appeared. Susanna greeted them as soon as she locked the trunk, noticing the change on Grell's and Ronald's their look

"Wow… you look more serious than… well… let's leave it in serious" she spoke about the blond man.

"It's all part of the costume" he winked and adjusted is necktie, which for the first time in at least a century, was tied correctly. Also, his jacket was completely buttoned and his shoes were black.

"And you… Oh my God!" she turned to look at Grell, who wore a pair of red trousers with a white shirt whose sleeves were rolled up, a wrap scarf of the same color of the pants and a matching flat cap. His hair was tied in a ponytail "you chose the outfit, right?"

"Of course, darling" the redhead said with pride "it's not every day that I can use the newest fashion trends at work… do you like how I look, Sebas-chan" he immediately ran towards the demon.

"And you… look the same as always" she pointed after seeing William wearing his usual outfit and a serious expression.

"I'm sorry for not fulfilling your expectations …" he fixed his glasses.

"No, no! that's not what I meant…" she didn't finish because she noticed the reaper's eyes smiling at her. His glance had a special spark he only showed to her, and he did it because Grell was busy with the demon and Ronald was looking at the luxurious car "oh, pretty funny…" and she gently hit him in the arm, as no one saw their interaction.

"Very well" said Sebastian as he clapped to get everyone's attention "now that everyone is here, let's review the plan. Miss Susanna will pretend to be the daughter of a powerful oil entrepreneur. We will be her bodyguards and Grell will be the stylist. Did you bring what told you, Spears?" he looked at the reaper with a contempt expression, and William looked at him in the same way.

"The earpieces are in the box" he put it over the car's trunk "along with your glasses"

"Good. Now the only thing missing before we got is you getting changed, Milady. And me as well" he approached Susana and took the suit bag. Do you require my assistance?" he innocently asked.

"Don't even think about it… in fact… I want everyone to look away, to that direction" she pointed at the horizon "and I… I'll get changed behind those bushes" and then she hid behind the shrubberies after making sure they were looking at the other side.

The shinigamis were standing in a row with a solemn attitude as they looked at the landscape, waiting for the girl to get changed and a few seconds later Sebastian started to walk, but before he walked more than 3 steps a tree pruner stopped him.

"Where do you think you're going, you blithering idiot?" William said with a severe tone.

"I need to change my clothes…" the butler explained, pretending to be as casual as he could.

"You could do that behind one of those bushes on the other side… it's not like we are interested on seeing you changing clothes either" his voice was firm and Grell did a disapproval noise.

"Speak for yourself…" the demon answered and then walked towards some other bushes farther away.

"Stupid demon…" the dark haired shinigami whispered to himself and Ronald started to laugh in a quiet voice after seeing the scene. A while later Sebastian came back and stood next to the reapers, also looking away from the spot where Susanna was changing, waiting patiently for her to get out.

When Susanna was back, she was wearing a pair of small shorts with small flowers printed on them, a sleeveless blouse in ivory color and matching high heels. It wasn't her usual clothing style but she needed to pretend.

"I don't feel too comfortable…" she said as she untied her hair so it would fall down to her shoulders.

"Your look good" Ronald said with an excited tone as he looked at her "I think you'll fit in just fine"

"If you say so…" the reapers went to the car to put on their earpieces and then the sunglasses that were especially made by Lawrence Anderson for this occasion "alright, from now on my name is Karen. You are my bodyguards. The tickets are in my purse and mm… I think everything else is in order"

"Off we go, then"

Sebastian started the car and they headed to St. Andrews Road, where many luxurious cars were parked and some young men wearing fancy clothes and accessories headed towards the docks. More than a pier, it looked like the entrance for an elegant night club.

Susanna got off the car as soon as Sebastian opened the door for her and the rest of her bodyguards surrounded her, along with her stylist. With steady and a little vain steps she headed to the docks, where a guard was checking the tickets. He was a tall and strong guy with long hair. He looked like the guitar layer of a metal band. He wore black and had tattoos on his arms.

"Ticket, please…" he said with a deep voice.

"Here" Susanna gave him a piece of paper and continued walking with a peevish attitude until the same guard spoke again.

"You have to register your entry…. And your companions can't go in"

"OMG, like… do you know who I am?... I'm Karen Van der Veen, and I'm not going anywhere without my bodyguards" her attitude was conceited and arrogant.

"I'm sorry, Miss… I'll only ask you to write their names to their registry…" then she took a pen and wrote some fake names in the book as the guard looked at all of them with annoyance, especially Grell "he is not part of your scort…."

"Dah! He's totally not my bodyguard"... he's my stylist. I couldn't leave him at home for an event like this!"

"It's a party-boat, do you have any idea of how much humidity there will be?..." Grell approached the guard "besides, I have to make sure Miss Karen's makeup is perfect. She hast to look great for the paparazzi"

"Mm… alright…" the guard growled and let them through. She, evidently wasn't the first spoiled brat who arrived to the event.

Once they were in the yacht, Susanna sat in one of the couches nearby the bar. Little by little the place got more crowded and she wasn't the only one with bodyguards next to her.

When she got tired and bored of waiting for the yacht to start moving she turned to see her companions. Grell was sitting next to her, looking around and doing his nails, evidently bored. Meanwhile, Ronald seemed a little tense because William was next to him, watching his every movement so he would behave properly, aside of keeping a rigid and severe attitude so he would look like a bodyguard.

Sebastian was very serious, looking around as if something was about to happen, but the truth was, he was just a little uncomfortable of working alongside the dark haired reaper. They both glared at each other from time to time and sic of it, Susanna decided to distract them a little.

"Sebastian…" he immediately turned to look at her "could you get me something to drink?"

"But of course. What would you like?"

"It's rather hot, so a margarita sounds just fine"

"Milady…" he said with a persuasive voice and leaned to whisper in her ear "shall I remind you that we are not in social business?"

"You're right. We're about to… take care of those two pending business" she made a pause and mischievously smiled "I'll have a double margarita, then… that's an order" she pointed before he could protest and he only looked at her with annoyance as Ronald smiled I a triumphal way.

Some minutes passed and Susanna was very entertained with her margarita as she waited for the yacht to set sail, and when it did, the party started. The DJ played electronic music and there were drinks and food everywhere, as well as a great atmosphere. There was also a young man with a microphone organizing contests and games.

"I think we should blend in a little more…" she suddenly said after seeing the tension on William's face; he didn't feel comfortable at all in that place.

"I agree…" answered Sebastian.

"Then it's decided. Ron, you're coming with me" the young reaper smiled and they both got lost in the crowd, followed by the inquisitive glances of William and Sebastian. Susanna was already sock of the tension between them, as well as the awkward silence, so going away was a great idea.

As expected, Ronald ended up next to the dance floor talking with some girls that gathered around him, while Susanna stood a little farther away from the party, trying to see the old factory in the distance… the place where those men would be doing the ritual.

Suddenly a guy approached to talk to her. He seemed to be very friendly, but evidently he was a little drunk. A few minutes later, the reapers and the demon approached her with the excuse of being diligent bodyguards and keep an eye on her, but as soon as she noticed them she glared at them, sending a clear message of staying away. Nevertheless, they remained close and with every passing minute, they got more expectant for arriving to the factory.

"We need to create a distraction" said Sebastian thoughtfully as William continued with his serious gesture and approached Susanna"

"I'll take care of it" he walked towards the girl, who was still talking with the flirty young man. He discreetly stood behind him and opened the metal lock that seemed to be specially closing certain door.

"So… would you give me your number? Maybe we could go somewhere else after the party" asked the young man talking with Susanna.

"My number? Well…" and then he leaned on the terrace's door, without noticing it was the one William had opened, and feel to the water in a matter of seconds. A girl who was standing nearby immediately yelled "Oh my God! Someone feel from the boat!" and cries of panic started to sound all around.

Susanna looked at the reaper with a surprised gesture as he gently took her by the arm to take her away from the crowd that started to gather.

"We needed a distraction…" was the only thing he said with singular innocence that made her smile. Soon, they were all gathered in the back part of the yacht, which was now deserted because everyone was entertained with the guy who fell to the water. The engines were turned down and it was an excellent opportunity for them to disappear without being noticed.

"Everything is ready" said Sebastian as he prepared the lifeboat and threw it to the river 2we'll see you inside the factory"

"Good…" said William and in a matter of seconds the reapers disappeared.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes.." she answered and the butler carried her as he jumped from the yacht. Then he started to row as fast as he could to get to the factory, where the reapers took care of distracting the guards and bring them to the front door so Susanna and Sebastian could get in by the docks.

Once they were on firm ground, Susanna noticed the small suitcase Grell had left next to the door and an unconscious guard. She opened and took the gun that was inside.

"I can only imagine what happened here… hurry, we need to find those bastards"

When they were inside the factory, it seemed to be empty and abandoned. There were some containers like the ones they found when they killed Kraig Schneider and at last two of them had people inside, but the rest were empty… of the people in there were already dead.

There were some runes drawn in the floor, next to some words in Latin and old Aramean; everything was written with precision and with a very suspicious red. It might have been blood with something else. There was a pentagram in the centre of the place and many mirrors placed around it as well as flasks with the same purple liquid that used Schneider to summon those demons. Slowly, Susanna approached and took one of them, despite the objections of her butler.

"It might be useful to know what it is" she explained.

"Very well, but let me guard it" he took the flask and put it inside his jacket "for your own safety"

There seemed to be no one around, but a huge ramble was heard coming from outside of the factory; guards running everywhere and gunshots. Suddenly a noisy alarm started to sound and many guards left the office in the second floor.

Before they were seen, Sebastian took Susanna and hid behind a big box next to the stairs. As soon as the armed men were outside, the demon made a movement so the girl followed him to the second floor in silence, but before she could walk farther away, he whispered.

"There's someone in that office. It could be them" he continued walking and Susanna grabbed the gun with a strong grip.

When they were on the second floor, the demon opened the office door, surprising Ricardo Soler and Aidan Crawford. Immediately, a loud noise of a thunder falling right above the factory was heard and the weather changed drastically; the sky was clouded and rain drops fell in the dry floor. A chill went down the girl's back and as fast as she could react, she pointed the gun at them, but it was useless because what happened later left her too surprised to react: as Mr. Crawford wet out the office, holding a small suitcase, the image of the other man multiplied, until there were six of them surrounding Sebastian and her.

"Remember, it' just a projection" the butler said as he stood in front of the girl to protect her.

"I know, but which one is real?" she kept holding the gun and shot one of the images, hoping to be aiming for the right one, or at least discard one of them.

The man laughed and without them noticing, he took a flask with blue bright powder, which didn't look like anything they have seen before.

With a fast movement, he threw it at the Butler. The powder seemed thick as it flew through the air. Sebastian managed to block it with his arm, but let out a painful scream as it touched his skin. Ricardo Sole's expression changed right away. At first he appeared to be surprised and a little scared, but then he started to laugh.

"In the end, you have done the same thing we did" he told the girl "you have a demon by your side…"

"Quiet!" she shot again and the man, along with the projections ran away, each one from a different exit "God dammit!... you go through the window and I…"

"That won't be necessary" the butler said as he stood next to the desk, taking the papers they had left "the real one used the door, just like Mr. Crawford"

"Are you alright?" she asked after seeing what it seemed to be a burn in his face. She approached him with worry in her eyes.

"Don't worry about me. It's a shallow scratch. That dust was a very rare variety of combined metals, which could affect the human forms of different beings. It causes burns for demons. Nothing to worry about"

"Let's go…" she said after looking at him, making sure he was fine. She worried about his wellbeing.

They ran down the stairs and noticed the back door was opened. An engine could be heard in the distance. The rain was heavy and it was very hard to see properly at the distance. Also, the thunders falling nearby were a threat. Right next to the docks, Ricardo Soler ran as he made a call with his cell phone; it was surely a call to one of his business partners o more guards. He hurried to get on the yacht that waited for him.

Aidan Crawford was already in the yacht and he was performing some kind of ritual, because his eyes turned white. He pronounced incomprehensible words and he took a flask with purple liquid, but before he could finish with the spell, Grell hit him, interrupting what he was about to do. Unfortunately he couldn't stop a demon from appearing. It was just like the one Schneider summoned, but this time, he was in disadvantage.

"You take care of them, we'll handle the demon" the red headed yelled as he attacked the grey demon with his chainsaw.

"This is our chance…" said Sebastian as he saw the yacht moving away "jump to my back" he addressed Susanna as she did what he told her, holding tight with her arms and legs. As soon as he made sure she was secure he ran towards the boat and when they reached the edge of the pier, he jumped very high to make sure they could reach the yacht.

It was a small yacht, but those men were well hidden. Susanna ran and looked for any of them, but she found a guard first. The man was driving the boat and when he saw them entering the cabin he took out a gun to shoot them, but Sebastian appeared right behind him and broke his neck in a matter of seconds.

The man fell down as if it was just a doll and then Ronald Knox appeared.

"It looks like the first one is gone…" he approached the corpse to collect hi cinematic record.

"Where's everyone else?" she asked with curiosity.

"William and Grell?... they are taking care of that demon in the factory and… they are collecting the cinematic records of those people in the containers" he looked at his watch when he finished with the collection "I have to go… I'll see you in a few minutes!" and he left the cabin in a hurry, leaving Susanna a little confused.

"Milady?" Sebastian called her "we need to find those men"

"Yeah… let's go" she opened the back door of the cabin and entered the inner part of the yacht where those men were waiting for them.

They couldn't be very far, and if needed, they would burn the whole boat to get rid of them. The storm was getting worse and the yacht moved with the waved and the air, making it difficult to walk straight.

On each room they entered, Sebastian checked all the possible hideouts and holes where they could be, but they couldn't find anything, until Ricardo Soler appeared behind them.

"It's not him. It's only a projection" the butler quickly pointed "if it was him, he would have shoot you" the projection looked at him with a challenging glare and then disappeared, only to reappear farther away.

"He's leading us to a trap… but this is the only option we've got" she hurried to follow him as the demon did the same, making sure there wasn't anything that could damage her or put her life at risk.

They were finally out again and the storm was terrible. The visibility was nearly zero. Aidan Crawford seemed to be doing some other spells. He was surrounded by ten projections of his partner and hesitantly, Susanna walked towards them, but suddenly Sebastian tackled her down the floor, saving her from a wooden box that was about to fall in her head, thrown by the real Ricardo Soler.

"You will have to do better than that" the butler teased them. A big hole was made in the floor of the boat. The woods were damaged and seemed to be about to break.

"Oh really? How about this?" the man yelled from the yacht roof, holding from one of the ropes that held the sails.

In a matter of seconds, the sky growled with thunder sounds that were so loud that left Susanna's ears buzzing for a while. Then, Sebastian carried her to move her away, avoiding a thunder from falling right in her head. The electric shock made another hole in the yacht and it managed to completely perforate it. It would be a matter of minutes before it sunk.

The demon took Susanna inside the cabin, where they could be safe at least for the time being and with an authoritarian voice she spoke.

"Very well. I want you to approach Aidan Crawford. Whatever he's doing, it has to be related to this storm" she moved away her soaking hair from her face "I'll take care of the guy in the roof"

"But miss, that would make you an easy target to…"

"No. they need me to complete the ritual. Besides, I'm sure those lightning will point at you as soon as they see you approaching. They already know you're a demon… and before you say anything else, It's an order"

"…Understood…" his voice sounded reluctant "but if your life is at risk…"

"I know… you'll come immediately to save me. Don't worry, I'm ready to deal with the consequences" she got closer to him, touching his face "I don't want you to compromise you physical integrity, understood?" she id as he fingers traced the contour of the burns in his face, with tenderness and he smiled.

"As you wish, Milady" he took her hand and bowed.

"To the count of three, you will hear towards Crawford and I'll get the other guy… one… two… three!" she yelled as she ran to the other side of the yacht, where there were some stairs leading to the roof of the boat.

On her way there she grabbed the railing so she wouldn't fall, as imaged of Ricardo Soler surrounded her, but she ignored them; she knew very well it was a trick. In that moment of determination, she didn't know what it was, but something inside of her let her know which one was the real guy and distinguish him from the fake images.

She managed to get on the roof with a lot of work. The stairs were very wet and the moving boat, along with the air made it a nearly impossible task. Once there, she grabbed her gun with all the strength she had, waiting for that man to appear. A few moments passed and the only thing around her were those fake images. She looked all over the roof for him and took a look behind a metallic structure near the edge bus as soon as she leaned down she felt a quick movement behind her and then a hard hit on the head…

Meanwhile, Sebastian walked with steady steps towards Aidan Crawford. The terrified expression he had on when he saw the demon approaching, made him rejoice and smile, showing his harp teeth; an image that was even scarier because of the big burn on his face. Suddenly, he felt many thunders striking around him, as a threat, but he didn't mind them at all.

"Get away from me!" yelled the blond man, but he didn't get an answer "I warn you…"he cried as he tried to get away from Sebastian, not daring to turn around, hurrying in the hope of losing him and then his face adopted a very singular gesture, as if his glance was lost for an instant and a powerful thunder fell right on the demon.

"I'm afraid…" the butler said as he raised one arm and launching with his hand a huge flame that stopped the thunder from striking him "… that will be impossible. You see, this is an order from my master" he smiled cynically as he took off the burned glove, letting show the contract seal.

"Don't hurt me… I can give you souls!... as many as you like! Those containers were full of people. You could have them, and many more"

"I'm not interested in low quality souls. Besides, at the moment I'm only interested in a certain and unique soul… among other things that keep me from accepting your offer…" he got closer to the terrified man and then a strong movement in the ship made it creak in a very loud way and it started to sink.

Meanwhile, Susanna's vision was blurry and it took a lot of effort to focus her eyes after that hard hit from Ricardo Soler. He took advantage of that to put a rope around her arms and hang her from one of the poles in the ship.

"Ah!" she screamed in pain and then looked at him with hatred in her eyes.

"Did you think you could win against us, little girl?" he walked along one of the fallen poles, holding some ropes to avoid falling down "things don't work like that. Do you think I will let you live?... I could do it without any hesitation or remorse" he screamed in her ear.

"You need me to perform the ritual!"

"Wrong answer… we need a woman. If I kill you now, we would only have to wait one more generation for another woman to be born, and I would absorb your power… along with the other you already stole" she surprised a lot and then he laughed "indeed, you don't have the slightest idea of how this works. Every time you kill one of us, you absorb his power, along with the intergenerational evolution. Of course, you didn't have a way of knowing it; you can't use them, since you're a woman"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Only the males in our families are capable of using those gifts. But do not worry, I'm not a misogynist. In fact, the woman's roll is the most important one because thanks to her, the fallen angel will be able to complete the Final Linkage. If you die now, it won't only be a victory for us; I will be more powerful than Demian and I will lead this whole thing" the ship kept sinking and the insides of the boat were slowly filling with water.

"I really hope you enjoy failure because… it will be impossible for you to kill me"

"Oh, and why is that? Because of that demon? I highly doubt it. Did you know they feed on souls? And well, we have lots of them to offer him, while you can only offer him one…" he walked around the roof ad made sure the rope that held Susanna was well tied and then he pointed at her with a gun, but a heavy movement kept him from shooting.

Ricardo Soler fell down and tried to grab one of the ropes that held the girl, but he only managed to tangle himself in them. His legs weren't of much use either; the ship was turning upside down because of the water inside it and the floor was too slippery. There was water everywhere.

A few meters away, the sound of someone falling to the water was heard and Susana wondered if it was Sebastian or Crawford. A moment later, someone else fell too and she could only imagine what was happening, but when she saw that Soler was tied up and with little chances of moving, she started to struggle to untie herself, but it would be nearly impossible without any help. Lucky for her, the position of the boat, about to wreck, helped her to stand still for a few moment.

Another thunder hit the boat, this time damaging the light fuses and cables that were inside the roof structure. Without hesitating, and after seeing how dangerous where those high tension cables, Susanna used the rope she was tied to, so her feet wouldn't touch the now electrified water…

She thought her life was about to end, or at least she would get hurt very bad. She was scared and felt like crying, as if there was no exit…

 _ **Author's notes:**_

 _ **Hi everyone!**_

 _ **I came in like a wrecking…thunder…? Lol sorry, I couldn't help it… that came to my mind when thinking about the chapter title.**_

 _ **Well, this is getting pretty exciting, right?... I love to write action scenes, although I get too carried away from time to time. Anyways, I hope you liked this one. And I want to take this chance to let you know that the next update will come later than usual because I'm preparing for the entrance exam of a Master Degree I intend to enter. I really want to get in, so I have to study really hard, hence I won't update as often as I used to. BUT, this will only be for the next two chapters (we still have about eight to go so…)**_

 _ **Any comments are welcomed, as always, as well as critics and complains xD**_

 _ **Take care and read you soon!**_


	23. A slow dance, a gift and a disjunction

Chapter 23. A slow dance, a gift and a disjunction.

Another thunder hit the boat, this time damaging the light fuses and cables that were inside the roof structure. Without hesitating, and after seeing how dangerous where those high tension cables, Susanna used the rope she was tied to, so her feet wouldn't touch the now electrified water…

Lucky for her, Ricardo Soler didn't have the same end, since he couldn't move because of the ropes that he was tangled in and a big piece of wood dragged him towards the high tension cables. During that moment, every wet part of the boat was electrified, making the ship a mortal trap.

A few seconds later, horrible screams coming from his mouth were heard. The man was being electrocuted and Susanna could only watch, feeling some repulsion after noticing she was rather relived to take off another weight from her shoulders. Little by little, the screams disappeared and the burned figure of the man was the only remaining of those terrible seconds that had just passed.

Smoke went out the man's body and his skin color changed as if it was burning from the inside. His arms were now somewhere between yellow and brown and his face seemed like a big bruise with barely opened and bloody wounds. The hideous image if the burned and swollen man would remain in Susanna's head for the rest of her life. She could almost see how his last breath left him, along with a painful expression that showed how much he struggled for his life.

Some kind of golden mist left his body and went directly to Susanna, who absorbed it. A few seconds later, Sebastian appeared on the top of a pole where the rope she was hanging from was tied.

"Milady… I'm sorry you had to see this…" he said as he held her in his arms and untied the rope, careful to not touch the electrified water.

"Sebastian…" she managed to say "I think… this is not the worst image I will ever see…." Tears were in the back of her throat as she spoke "where's Crawford?"

"He's is in another boat with Grell" Roald's voice was heard as he landed next to the corpse "damn… I'm sure that hurt at least a bit …" he said with dark humor.

"Come on, the farther we are from this the better" the butler took the girl in his arms and jumped towards the lifeboat where Grell was rowing.

"Are you alright?" the redheaded asked.

"Yes… for now. What happened in the factory?"

"The guards opened fire as soon as we appeared there . Of course, bullets can't hurt us, so we proceeded to leave them unconscious and headed to the main entrance, so you guys could enter without anyone else noticing. And then, a type D demon appeared, just like that… and that's when I saw you jumping towards that small yacht, as charming as always, Sebas-chan… and I had to get rid of that demon. Ronald helped a little. Oh… I wish all demons were like you!" he flirted with the butler and noticed the burn in his face "wait a moment! What on earth happened to your face?! my poor baby!"

" _Alkahest_ …" said the demon with a serious tone and Grell's face showed something similar to shock "… I don't know where they got something like that..."

"We cannot take them lightly" said the reaper with a serious tone, which was rather unusual on him and the girl understood immediately that it wasn't just any substance. Since the moment she saw what it made to Sebastian's face she knew it, but it wasn't the time to ask questions… still wasn't the right moment.

"No, but I'm sure this man will give us plenty of answers" the demon answered as he made sure Aidan Crawford was well tied with the rope. He was still unconscious.

"When we got rid of the demon, we helped William collect those souls. There were hundreds of them! And actually, he's still working on the collection, but he insisted on sending us to help you. Besides, Ronald had to collect Ricardo Soler's soul… a horrible way to die, if you ask me, dear…"

"I see… and what happened with Crawford?"

"Well, you see…" the demon started to explain "when I approached him, he tried to get rid of me with those thunders. He has the gift of Atmokinesis, but he didn't have luck with that and when the ship started to wreck he ran and jumped off the board.

Naturally I went after him and tied him with a rope that I found nearby and when I went back to the surface I met Grell, who was rowing in this boat, left Aidan Crawford with him and immediately went where you were. I'm so sorry that you had to go through all that"

"It' alright. I'm fine and… now we have a prisoner who could give us information" she saw the unconscious man on the other side of the boat.

"Let's go back to land" Grell led the boat back to the factory.

About an hour later, and after taking care of the arrangements, they returned to the party. Before they arrived, Sebastian called Mr. Haggard so he could let Fer and Abby know it was time to change disguises. As soon as they were in the basement, Sebastian took care of Susanna's makeup and in a matter of five minutes she recovered the same look she had before leaving the party.

"What happened to the burn in your face?" she asked with curiosity.

"It's incorrect for a butler to look like that in front if his Lady"

"Yeah, but…how?"

"It' just that… I'm one hell of a butler" he smiled proudly and walked towards the door that lead to the house.

Some minutes later, the girl went out to the garden, walking with as much calm as she could, pretending nothing was wrong and as if nothing had happened, keeping the image of Ricardo Soler's corpse in the back of her mind. Things would be easier that way, and besides of wearing the mask for the masquerade, she wore another one for her feelings, making her look as the best party host.

She approached the company investors and her business partners, commenting on how wonderful was the ballet and how gifted were those dancers, as well as the videos that were shown for the anniversary; all rehearsed lies…

A masquerade allowed everyone to be who they wanted to be and the trill of not being discovered added an extra ingredient to the party. A little and shallow fantasy that captivated everyone in there for some hours.

Susanna approached the bar and asked for a glass of wine. It wasn't her favorite drink, but it was slightly more effective than any other as well as more appropriate for the occasion. Then she walked towards another group of guest, who took the opportunity to flatter her about the party… the same speech she had already heard for at least ten times. She was already used to it by then, and suddenly, someone picked her attention.

It was Sebastian, whose eyes and stand was easy to recognize behind any disguise, especially with that intense gaze he gave her: alluring and flirty, just like his smile. She could almost imagine what he would say in that moment, his voice tone and how much he enjoyed to see her suffer in those social gatherings she hated so much, but couldn't avoid.

She was already used to his little games, which sometimes were almost sadistic, but she had fun with them as well, so she answered his gestures with a similar glance, as she put one of her lock in the back of her ear in a flirty way. He noticed it immediately and as he supervised that everything was in order with the catering and the party, he kept a "not so discreet" eye on her, watching her insistence, trying to catch her attention even more… his starving eyes couldn't stop looking at her, almost caressing her skin and tasting it.

A while later, he walked right next to her, barely touching her hand so she would look at him and then he adjusted his necktie; something he knew she loved. Despite of not saying it, he knew she loves neckties and that small action would gave the girl at least a few ideas of what to do with his butler's clothes.

That game continued for at least two more hours, until Susanna decided it was enough of shallow talks with the guest and took a small break.

She was holding her glass of wine. It was the fourth of the night and certainly it wouldn't be the last. The day had been very intense, and the next one would be similar, but during that moment she would relax as much as she could; she couldn't be seen tense in front of her guest.

The girl was away from the guest; she had enough of the horrible task of socialize with all of them and she was standing, looking at the orchestra playing. She had personally chose the song list for the night and in that moment the Platters were sounding: one of her favorites, so she closed her eyes and imagined herself being far away from there, in another time and other circumstances and then…

"Susanna?" a male voice was heard right next to her, unmistakable and with that characteristic London accent she loved so much.

"Will…" she opened her eyes and a wide smile appeared in her face as she took off her mask "I hadn't seen you during the whole afternoon… or night"

"I didn't think this was so effective" he looked at the mask he was holding in his hand.

"A little, but I think I would still recognize you anywhere…"

"Is that so…" he looked at her in a very singular way "to be honest, as soon as we came back here we made sure there wasn't anything suspicious nearby and then I went back to the office, although Ronald and Grell remained here"

"I see… did you give them the afternoon off?"

"Something like that…" he turned to see the blond reaper in the other side of the garden, talking with some girls and then he looked at Grell, who was flirting with another guest "I suppose they can have a break one in a while. We've worked overtime for the last two weeks"

"I'm glad you came back… even you need a break once in a while…" she smiled after repeating his words "would you like some wine?" and after he nodded she called one of the waiters.

"Thank you" he told the young waiter who held a tray with wine and champagne "cheers… for the Lady, whose birthday is coming soon, and that looks so… ravishing tonight"

"And for the gentleman who's accompanying her" she smiled again and they toasted.

"I'm glad everything went well and… that you weren't hurt. It was a dangerous situation" he sipped his wine.

"Yes. Now we only have to interrogate that guys and… got after the last one"

"That's correct…" he looked at her and noticed her lonely and thoughtful appearance "I'm sorry, perhaps this isn't the best conversation subject on your birthday party and I'm curious… how is it possible that celebration for a girl your age has this music? Is if the result of chance or your good taste I music?"

"I'm not sure if I should take it as a compliment" she joked and he smiled with his eyes "let's say that… my adoptive mother was a big fan of this group, so I became fond of it since I was little. After she died, when I was very young, her CD's were what made me feel her close"

"This music and a masquerade… it's like going back in time. It's been a while I've seen something like this"

"I can only imagine what you might have said if we had returned before and hadn't missed Vivaldi's Winter… such a shame… I really like it" she looked at him and finished her wine. There was a moment of silence between them while she continued looking at the orchestra and the guests in the distance. Some of them were dancing, others were talking and some others were eating and drinking. Suddenly, Unchained melody started to play; the Platters version "gosh, I love this song!" she sounded very excited and her surprise was big when she saw the reaper's gloveless hand asking her to dance "Really?"

"Why not?" a tiny smile appeared on his face and she thought he looked especially handsome that evening. He was dressed as usual, with his unstained black suit and a perfectly tied necktie, but there was something that picked her attention like never before. For a second, she considered it was all the result of her crazy hormones, but then she was convinced it was something else entirely.

And then she took his hand, leaving her glass in a bench nearby. When she was close enough to him his right hand took her by the waist as the left one took her hand. He wasn't an excellent dancer but the song was slow and it helped him dissimulate; it wasn't as if she noticed it anyways, since she was fascinated with the music and her heart eat fast as she leaned her head on his chest, listening to his own heartbeats accelerating as she did it and smiled when she noticed it.

William fought the urge to let his hand wander away from her waist but it was impossible after a while and after holding her closer, his index finger caressed her delicately. The same thing happened with his other hand, which slowly played with the girl's, feeling the softness of her skin as they danced with the slow beat of the song. He was almost drunk with Susanna's perfume, he closed his eyes to make the felling even more intense and suddenly, nothing else mattered; for at least an instant he forgot about his work, overtime and the pile of reports on his desk. He felt happiness.

When the song was over, they remained close for a little while. The party and the people around them disappeared until William noticed Ronald's indiscreet glance on them, raising his glass and toasting in complicity. He immediately returned the gesture with an irritated glare and broke eye contact, finally separating from Susanna.

"Thank you so much for this dance, but I'm afraid it's time to go"

"Already? But you just arrived…" she tried to convince him with her eyes, but she wasn't successful.

"I'm afraid so" he said hesitantly "but…" he took her hand and kissed it like a true gentleman. The soft contact of his lips with her skin was new for the both of them "…happy birthday, Susanna"

"Tha… thank you" the girl blushed a lot and then followed with her eyes as he disappeared among the guest. She remained there for a few moments. Then she sighed and went to get another glass of wine, or something stronger. She really needed it.

Susanna had always enjoyed parties, but it was different this time; her friends weren't there and she was far away from home, so she felt out of place. After William and the other reapers left, any hopes of having fun went away. She walked to the garden, farther away from the guests and behind the bushes. She stopped right where the music could be barely heard.

The sky was clear, which meant Aidan Crawford was still unconscious; if he had been awake a storm would have set an end to the party. At least she didn't have to worry about that. Suddenly, she felt BRIZA of air filled with masculine cologne, which she immediately recognized even before seeing the male silhouette approaching her.

"Was the party boring for you as well, Sebastian?"

"I'm afraid I have no interest on any party if you're not in it" he got closer to her.

"Oh, I'm sure you could find something to do, like making sure of Mr. Giggs doesn't get too drunk"

"A man his age should be able to take care of himself… may I?" he asked as he n at the bench where she was sitting.

"Go ahead" she answered as he eyes looked t the reflex of the party lights "it's hard to believe a few hours ago we were about to be electrocuted, in a yacht in the middle of the Thames River.

"You better believe it, because I have two surprises for you"

"Surprises?" she looked at him with disbelief.

"I'm aware that today is not your birthday, but since the celebration was done on this day…" he took something out of his jacket. It was a small box covered in black velvet.

"For real?" he nodded ad he handed her the small box "thank you" her expression showed how surprised she was and as soon as she opened she saw a small chain with a DIJE with a very singular shape: some kind of hook, but a little thicker and it was made of silver. It had an electric blue stone which shone very bright on the center.

"It was your mother's…" Susanna was amazed after hearing that "when I started looking for you I thought the best place to find clues was where your parents died, and that's where I found it.

"I don't know what to say…" her eyes were watery and for a second she felt ashamed of him looking at her in that state, so she avoided his glance and stared at the necklace, which had the words "my last breath" engraved. But, what would they mean?

"I'm not sure about the meaning behind them" he explained as if he was reading her mind "but I know it was a gift from your father. That stone belonged to the Serafer family. According to what your grandfather told me, when Uriel ran away he took some things with him… that stone was among them and he gave it to her wife, as you can see in the picture inside the box" she immediately took off the small cushion off and a small picture of her parents appeared. In there, the image of her mother wearing the necklace could be seen.

"It's true!... but, did you find the photograph as well?"

"No. After finding the necklace I followed the traces and clues. That's when I found the picture. Unfortunately that's all that remains"

"A necklace and a photo…" she remained thoughtful as she read the engraved again "Thank you, Sebastian. I'm really grateful" Susanna smiled in a way he had never seen before; with hope and appreciation, not to mention how moved her eyes seemed and the sincere glance that captivated him for a few seconds, incapable of fighting it "if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't know anything about them… and even under the circumstances I met you, I'm glad I did it. Thanks"

Sebastian was speechless; shocked because of the effect her words had on him. It wasn't the fact of her thanking him, or that she apparently let her guard down, but everything that glance of her caused him, or that look in her face. Undoubtedly, he was walking on uncharted territory, but he was enjoying it. His victory was closer than ever, so much he could almost touch it, but this time it would have a different flavor ad despite not having the right words to describe it, he was anxious to see his plans come true.

He kept looking at her eyes and before he could say anything else, there was a loud noise in the sky: the firework show had just began.

"Wow! I didn't know…"

"That's the second surprise. What kind of Butler would I be if I wasn't capable of making an adequate celebration for my Lady?" he smiled proudly and stood up from the bench, taking the necklace from the girl's hands and with a skilled movement he put it under the other necklace, the one that covered the contract mark and when he whispered in her ear "…happy birthday…"


	24. READ THIS BEFORE CONTINUING

_**Important author's note:**_

 _ **Surprise! This fanfic will have a very original turn: from this moment, the story will be divided in two, depending on the guy Susanna chooses; Sebastian or William, so from now on the chapters will have different names and of course, each one will say if it's part of the reaper rout or the demon route.**_

 _ **The story is basically the same, but there are some changes and different scene. Nevertheless, the ending does change… a lot. It's your choice if you want to read only one route or if you want to read both of them… or only first and the second one when it's all finished. Personally, I think reading both of them would give you a different perspective of the story, but I would recommend you to read first the route you fancy the most… or the contrary… leave the one you like for later, as a dessert…I don't know" lol**_

 _ **I did this because, to be honest, both options had great plot potential and I couldn't decide on writing only one, so there will be double actualizations!… and that is the reason why they might take a little longer than usual (like once a month, or so), because I have to update both routes at the same time and work on the English translation as well, but rest assure that updates will be constant and I WILL finish the fanfiction. Actually, it's pretty much all written by now and it's just a matter of upload the next chapters.**_

 _ **On the other hand, I wanted to apologize for not updating this story in the last two or three months. The reason behind it was that I was studying and preparing to the entrance exam for a Master degree I'm planning on study and I focused almost entirely on those exams, but… I'm back.**_

 _ **So I hope you enjoy the story and if you have any comments, critics, complains or opinions, don't hesitate on sending me a PM or leave a comment.**_

 _ **Read you later, guys!**_


	25. The missing ingredient (Sebastian)

Chapter 24. The missing ingredient.

The weather wasn't nice at all the next day. The sky was cloudy and there was an electric storm that damaged many cables in the area as well as a heavy rain, all thanks to Aidan Crawford, who was kept in the Serafer's residence basement. At the moment, only Sebastian and Susanna had access to that place, and although Fer, Abby and Mr. Haggard knew what was going on there they pretended to ignore it and seemed to be busy fixing some remaining stuff from the party.

Susanna woke up early in the morning and got dresses as fast as she could so she could start Mr. Crawford's interrogatory. She was still very tired for all the things that happened hours before it, but she was anxious to get some answers from him as well. There were many question that he had to answer but before she could do it, Sebastian stopped her and asked to speak with her.

"Gee, what's so urgent?" she seemed a little restless.

"It's nothing urgent really, but… you should be careful with Aidan Crawford. He is not just any man… he knows more about this Final Linkage than you and me. It wouldn't be wise to take him lightly, so avoid direct questions if you can and let him speak as much as you can"

"And how about some coercive persuasion?" there was a peculiar tone of malice in her voice.

"That could be an option too… but we should try to drug him first" he took a syringe from his pocket and his eyes smiled with him. She stared at him as if she was stuck in his glance, but a branch hitting the window distracted her.

"What an awful storm!... this should have been caused by that guy"

"Indeed. The storm started today at 6 AM" he looked at his clock "I thought the weather would be better by now, or that at least Mr. Crawford would be exhausted but a few minutes ago I checked on him and he didn't seem stressed at all"

"Then you should go with him and… do whatever you have to do with that syringe… intimidate him and then I'll interrogate him"

And so it was: Sebastian entered the basement with Aidan Crawford to drug him so he didn't resist too much. As soon as he saw the butler, his pupils dilated and his face showed how frightened hi was. Of course he was, the demon entered the room with his glowing eyes and a dark aura surrounding him, making him look threatening and dangerous.

When the drug made effect the rain stopped a little but water was still pouring from the sky. A moment later, Susanna walked with steady steep towards the basement, avoiding Fer's gaze, who seemed to watch her with worry.

Aidan Crawford was behind the door, in a small and gloomy room where he was sitting in a chair, handcuffed and with a dim light that showed his silhouette. The room was a few grades under the normal temperature; another of his tricks, no doubt of it.

The first thing Susanna noticed when she entered the room was the humidity around her face and hands, and then that man looking at her with disbelief in his eyes as he struggled to be awake.

Sebastian remained outside. He received the order of leaving her alone while she was interrogating him. Nevertheless, at the first strange sound, he would enter the room to avoid any complication and to keep his mistress from being hurt.

Susanna looked at her "distinguished" guest, now stripped off of his shallow elegance he displayed in the old factory by the Thames. His fancy suit was now dirty and ripped, and it has blood stains. He remained silent and a small bruise was appearing on his forehead. His blond hair, once perfectly combed was dirty and messy but aside of that, he didn't seem to be injured.

"Do you think I will help you or give you any information?" he broke the silence.

"I'm sure you will. I heard you are a coward and that you tried to bribe my butler with a few souls"

"Your butler?!" he joked "that thing is a demon. And you, especially you, should know very well what you got yourself into" apparently he made a big effort to talk "you are hunting us, one by one and try to stop our plans, when you are doing something as questionable as us and" she interrupted him.

"Questionable?... wow, this is such a great moment to make moral judgments… I only want to finish with you guys. All these years, you've been chasing my family and that includes me… of course, avoid a catastrophe is a convenient consequence" she smiled cynically "all that in exchange of my soul. I think it was a good deal. Now tell me, you need to fill certain conditions to bring the fallen angel, right?... the first, you need those gifts" she used a mocking tones "as you call them. Ivan Reznik telepathy, Schneider's summon, which by the way, caused me a lot of pain in the leg and a terrible wound to my butler, as well as… a… friend of mine too" after saying that, the man laughed "what's so funny?"

"Nothing… it's just that we never thought that you would surround yourself with demons and grim reapers. In fact, we never thought you could be a problem" his words were slow because of the drug "you should have died along with your stupid parents… which reminds me, did you enjoy your kidnapping?"

Those words caused Susanna a lot of rage. She lived in ignorance for more than twenty years and now that she knew everything, she felt a great responsibility for ending with all that, aside of anger because she was another victim of the plans made by those men.

"Shut up" she punched him with all her strength and from Aidan Crawford's lip a little blood thread appeared and he looked at her with rage in his eyes "I'm asking the questions here!" he kept quiet and a strong lightning hit the roof "telepathy, summoning, my family's supernatural vision, Soler's astral projections and then you, controlling the weather…"

"Atmokinesis… " he said very offended and more awake than before.

"Whatever… and now all of them are gone… Reznik, Schneider, Soler, Serafer and you… and for my convenience, it is me who has the gifts now… and yours, in a few hours, maybe days" Susanna showed him a triumphal smile as she walked around the room.

"It will be useless… women can't use the gifts"

"Of course!... I already knew it. I was just making sure. And if I died, everything will go to Janssens-Guillot… I suppose now you understand, it's either you guys or me…"

"It's been like that from the beginning. But if you kill me and go after Demian, you will only make things easier for him"

"Oh, really?" she tried to appear uninterested, but she was anxious to hear what he was about to say.

"Apparently you don't understand, girl. And if you expect that you demon butler to help you or remain faithful until the end, you are wrong. He is a demon! His nature is to promote chaos and antagonize god, and what better way to do it than proving he doesn't even exist"

For an instant, Susanna was speechless looking at Aidan Crawford with serious eyes, thinking about what he just said, but not showing any emotion, much less any sign of confusion or doubt.

Sebastian's situation had been already clarified. If he wanted the final linkage to take place, he would have done it already and yet, he was still by her side, showing the fidelity he professed so much. Aside of that, her hunch told her she could trust him, and if that wasn't enough for convince her, the reapers believed him too, so Crawford's attempt to make her doubt the demon butler were useless.

"What is Demian Janssens-Guillot's power?" the girl's voice was cold and direct. Her attitude radically changed and she seemed more severe now.

"You will have to find out by yourself... without my help. I'm not scared to die. Since the moment I woke up here, tied to this chair, I knew I would die soon and giving you any information wouldn't change a thing" his voice was slow and paused.

"That's true, but I could make your death faster… or slower. It's up to you" he laughed with irony and looked at the floor, with no intentions of speaking "or if you prefer, I could just call Sebastian so he could finish the job" he looked at her with horror in his eyes and there was a small spark of beg in his pupils "oh, don't tell me you are afraid… come on! You want to bring the fallen angel and perform the Final Linkage, which will join all dimensions, and you are scared of demons… are you stupid or what?"

"Demian offered us protection… nothing would hurt us. Not with those gifts, which would be multiplied after the fallen angel is here. For us and our descendants.

"Wow… that almost sounds biblical"

"I'm being serious. All that frightens me, and not only because of the reaches, but because is going to happen. There's no turning back… everything is calculated. Even the smallest mistake. Even you are part of it. It's a scheme that's been planned for more than a century. You should already know that"

"Then tell me how to stop it!" she approached him and shook his shoulder.

"I can't… everything is already done. It's just a matter of time and go to the right place. Numerology has always been our friend and if you think that summoning Odin's spear was all we have, wait until you see what we can do with some energy. It's a ritual we've been planning for a long time, and we've had enough practice. Every natural disaster; every earthquake, flood or tsunami, we practiced channeling and the ritual itself, but there was something missing every time… that last thing that would complete it all" and then his voice turned into a whisper "…soon…"

Susanna remained silent for a moment. For some reason she seemed confused after hearing what he had to say. She thought they could find Demian Janssens-Guillot with more information and perhaps learn how to stop the ritual, but Crawford's words only left her with more doubts. What were they waiting for? What were they missing o?

Silence filled the room and the temperature was lower. When Susanna was conscious about it, she looked at him with curiosity.

"You are very quiet. Don't you have anything else to say?" he started to laugh "and now you are laughing… maybe Sebastian could persuade you to speak more"

"What time is it?"

"Past midday" she looked at her cellphone and then put it back in her pocket "do you have an appointment? In that case, I'm afraid you're going to be late"

"Oh, it's not me who has something to do… it is you" he laughed.

"Mental games… just what I needed. I already have too much of that with Sebastian and now…"

"It's not a game. It's real" for the first time in the day, Aidan Crawford appeared to be threatening, but before she could give it a thought, she heard Sebastian knocking the door.

"Milady, I need to speak with you"

"Go… it seems like an urgent matter" he had a mocking glance in his eyes and a smirk on his bloody lips.

"I'll be right back"

She winked at him and left the room, but before the door was closed, the demon's gaze focused on the man. Threatening and chilling, causing him terror.

Just when that was happening, in the reaper's dimension, William left his office in a hurry and a severe expression after receiving the news he just got. He felt his temples starting to palpitate, which meant an imminent and terrible headache. He should have taken a few aspirins before it was too late, but he didn't. He didn't have time for that, so he kept walking. It was an urgent matter.

Suddenly, he stopped and entre done of the cubicles of the dispatch and with a serious voice tone he spoke to the shinigami that was sitting on the chair.

"Grell Sutcliff… I presume you haven't left for the Serafer residence"

"Will, darling!... well, no… I was just about to leave…" he said a little nervous , taking his notebook and the pending file on his desk, opening it and reading the new information on it "I thought I still had a few hours before the reaping, but…" he was evidently surprised when he saw the changes on the to-die-list.

Last minute corrections on the list weren't something without precedent, but it wasn't very common and that was precisely what happened with Grell's collection for that day.

"There had been a few modifications… I'll take care of it" said William with more seriousness than usual and took the file from the redhead's hand.

"I see… are you sure? I thought you didn't like this kind of work. Too messy for…" he was interrupted.

"There are certain special circumstances that make me to go. Now, if you'd excuse me"

And then he turned around, heading with fast steps towards the general affairs department to sign the necessary paperwork before leaving. He didn't want to waste any more time. The situation was too delicate, or at least, he considered it so; something inside of him screamed at him to hurry up"

Sebastian used a peculiar voice tone when he instructed Susanna to follow him. She couldn't quite understand the reason behind it, but she didn't ask and walked towards the living room, where he was leading her, and then he looked at her with certain coldness in his eyes, as if there was a wall between them.

"You should take a seat"

"What's the matter?" she didn't know why, but she sat on the couch. She was sure it was something serious. Hi butler's attitude couldn't mean anything else and she had a bad feeling about it.

"I've received a call a few minutes ago…" his glance turned dark but his attitude was calm and Susanna thought he looked like a tower "right before we left for Sweden I assigned your father a few bodyguards. I supposed that, if they were after you, they could be after him as well. I'm very sorry I didn't tell you about it before. I didn't want you to worry, and your father told me to keep it secret, especially when the people guarding him told me they were being followed"

"Did something happen?" she was worried. That was the last thing she expected. Susanna knew she was the target of those people, but they could use her father against her.

"The call I received was from one of the bodyguards…" suddenly, Susanna felt a knot in her stomach and felt the blood in her body freezing, little by little. Her eyes opened more and she waited until Sebastian spoke again "there was an attack and… the bodyguards were killed… as well as your father"

The girl suddenly became mute. She couldn't speak or even make a sound. It was an unexpected and sudden notice. From all the things that could go wrong, her father's death wasn't on the list. Then, the knot in her stomach disappeared and surprisingly, her reaction wasn't dramatic. Instead, she leaned on the couch, looking away as if her brain had suddenly turned off.

Meanwhile, in the dining room, Mr. Haggard, Fer and Abby witnessed the scene. They had listened the conversation and their eyes were on the girl, melancholic and worried.

"Everything points to an act orchestrated by Demian Janssens-Guillot and I've already took care of those men who…"

"I understand…" she finally spoke "there wasn't anything else we could do, but… are you sure?"

"I'm afraid so, Milady… the necessary paperwork to bring his remains to London are being done in as we speak" she looked at him emotionless, as if the characteristic spark in her eyes was gone and he immediately thought it through and hurried to say "I… I'm very sorry for your loss"

"No you're not… I don't think it's possible for you to feel something like that" and after those cold words she stood up and headed to the garage, avoiding the worry glances of the three individuals who were looking at the scene. Abby was about to run after her, but Fer stopped her before she could do it.

"Leave her alone. She needs to assimilate everything" he had seen that look before; that same determination and hate that urged to get revenge disguised as justice, and which would never be completely satisfied.

Susanna entered the garaged and took a tool box and a nail gun that was hanging in the wall. Of course she made sure it was completely loaded before she headed to her destiny.

Her steps sounded loudly from in basement and when she entered she closed the door as loud as she could, waking up the man that was on the chair; the bastard had fallen asleep as if his conscience was as clear as a baby's.

"You knew it!" she yelled as she dropped the tool box in the floor, making a lot of noise. Her anger was too much and it got worse after hearing him laugh. Her hair was wet because of the rain outside but she ignored it. In that moment she felt her blood boiling.

"Of course. It was just a matter of time and… to be honest, I think it took them long enough"

"That's why you asked for the hour" she got closer to him

"Yes. If only we could have used that idiot for one of our sacrifices… but I think he was useful enough at it is"

"That idiot was my father…" he punched him on the face and he didn't speak anymore. For the first time, he noticed how dangerous Susanna was. She wasn't the same person who interrogated him that morning.

Susanna yelled something incomprehensible. Perhaps something on her mother language, or maybe she didn't manage to say something more coherent. Rage and sadness were filling her, but most of all, a new feeling appeared inside of her. Something she hadn't feel before, and that soon became a necessity. She despised the man she had in front of her and she would punish him slowly and painfully. He was the one to blame for his father's death and even though she was somehow responsible as well, all that frustration was turned to him and she felt the rush of what she was about to do. Then she took the nail gun and walked towards Aidan Crawford.

"Wait! What are you going to do with that?" the man's voice showed how scared he was.

"Can't you imagine?" Susanna's pupils dilated and his eyes were sparking in rage as she put the nail gun on his neck.

"I didn't order it, I swear!"

"I don't care!" she took the pistol away and he felt a momentary relief, but then she fired at point blank range on the right foot. And that was when the first shriek was heard.

It was the first scream of many more yet to come. Susanna was ready to use each of the tools inside the box, including the small bottle of thinner in there.

She was furious and completely out of her mind, not only because of the frustration caused by the situation, but because of the sadness, impotence and loneliness that reached her spirit. She knew very well her soul was lost and she acted accordingly. By that point, the torture wasn't to get information anymore; only for the pleasure of see him suffer in the worst way possible.

Her transformation was radical and she ignored the cries and yells which, in other circumstances, would have made her stop; on the contrary, with every movement she made on his fingers using the saw, her blood thirst grew; with every nail shot going deep into his skin, every sound of the hammer breaking one of his bones and every finger nail taken away from him, a sadistic and twisted pleasure rose inside of her, similar to any character in a gore movie. She seemed to be in trance and her gaze was completely evil, filled with anger and satisfaction for punishing him.

Susanna felt something inside abandoning her and for a moment she was sure she stopped being herself, but the satisfaction wasn't less because of it and the whole time she felt the contract mark on her neck getting warmer than usual, palpitating every time she cut one of Aidan Crawford's fingers and every wound she caused him.

And when she finally saw her hands full of blood, dripping with the dense red liquid because of her actions, she realized everything was lost. Everything she had postpone, along with her soul's doom was now real, and without a chance of redemption... Nevertheless, she still had something to do in this world and she wouldn't rest before the final linkage was stopped…. But in the meantime, she would keep with her gory actions and she would enjoy it as much as they had done it with her in the past.

Little by little the storm started to fade and the cloudy sky that promised a horrible weather was now clear, showing the sun in the distance.

Suddenly a buzz was heard and Sebastian turned to look at the reaper who just appeared next to him, right by the basement's entrance.

"I see the news spread fast …" said the butler with cold voice, expecting a reaction from William.

"I came here as soon as I could… and to be honest, I was expecting you to be with Susanna" that almost sounded like a reclaim.

"Right now, she wants to be alone" he said in a jesting tone, but the reaper interrupted him.

"Don't you dare to say what she wants! There is no way you could know what she is going through in there, by herself… what she just did"

"Aidan Crawford would have died anyways. Besides, it's not the first man she kills" there was some sort of satisfaction in his voice, which made William even angrier "if it didn't bother you before, I don't see why should it now… oh, but that's right! That gives you a chance to see her, doesn't it?" it seemed like irritating the reaper caused him a huge pleasure, and despite being some truth in his words, William found it rather disturbing.

"You are right. This is not the first time she does it but… if you could only see the way that man is going to die… the evil engraved in those wounds, you would doubt she was the one to blame for it. But of course, that would cause an enormous joy to a despicable being such as you"

A glow appeared on the demon's eyes. He knew Susanna would make sure Aidan Crawford's death was painful, but he never imagined how bad was it; much less the effect it would have on the reaper.

Yes. Susanna was capable of doing such thing and it meant that she had given up her soul, and that the last remains of her goodness died along with her father, which was rather convenient for Sebastian… not to mention how attractive. But despite all that, some part of him was worried about her as well and his eyes returned to normal as he looked at the door a little disquiet.

They both remained silent for a moment, until William took his death scythe and walked towards the basement. It was time to collect that man's soul. Sebastian followed him and opened the door with the master key he always carried.

The image they saw when they entered the room left them shocked: Aidan Crawford's body was still in the chair, motionless and surrounded by his fingers, which had been previously cut with trimmers and saws. His feet and arms had nails everywhere as well as screwdriver wounds. His trousers were covered in blood and had holes where multiple lacerations could be seen. The smell of thinner and blood filled the room and it was almost as unbearable as seeing his disfigured face. A scenario worthy of the most experimented and cruelest of the hitmen.

Susana knew William and Sebastian were in front of her, witnessing the scene; she could feel them, as well as their shock after seeing the results of her actions and her hands stained in blood like never before.

She felt the impulse of laughing, and she did but it was a cynic laugh… humorless and lacking of feeling; a laugh that hid her tears, but not for long.

"It's incredible how many atrocities humans can do…" she laughed more and then looked at them. Both males couldn't say a word and when Susanna noticed it, she turned to see Aidan Crawford's corpse again "…and the worst part is that I enjoyed it. I would even do it again… thousands of times again and don't feel remorse. Not only because he deserved it, but because I wanted… I'm disgusting and no one did anything to stop me. That divine power who was supposed to procure good is conspicuous by its absence… and maybe they're right" she took a deep breath and looked at the floor as she whispered those words she once considered cursed "deus est mort…" there wasn't a single drop of hesitation in her voice, but the result was the same as other occasions.

Sebastian's expression showed how shocked he was as he ran towards Susanna, who just entered a violent frenzy and grabbed the hammer to punch the corpse, screaming and crying like never before…


	26. Collateral damage (William)

Chapter 24. Collateral damage.

Susanna woke up early the next day. She was anxious for interrogating Aidan Crawford and knowing Demian Janssens-Guillot's whereabouts. She knew the end was near, but that wouldn't stop her from getting rid of her enemies. Nevertheless, she felt something like a knot in her stomach every time she thought her life was ending.

The weather was awful that morning. There was a storm and not a single silver lining in the sky. She always thought London would have that weather all the time… how wrong was she. Thunders stroke nearby every few minutes, reminding her how vulnerable she truly was and what kind of man was locked in her basement.

She took a quick shower and dressed up as fast as she could. When she went out the dresser she noticed Sebastian, waiting for her with a wide smile.

"Good morning, Milady. I made waffles for your breakfast today. There's also fresh juice and…"

"Sebastian, we have to…" her face showed the urge she had to start with the interrogatory.

"I understand that you want to talk with that man as soon as possible, but you should take it easy, Miss. We don't know what tricks he might have under his sleeve… aside of controlling the weather" he looked through the window with a serious expression which changed almost immediately ad he said "besides, breakfast is the most important meal of the day" he smiled.

"Alright" and then she went downstairs, to the kitchen and ate the delicious waffles his butler made.

Several minutes later, when the girl was right in front of the basement, the door opened and she got a little scared but the feeling changed as soon as she saw the butler inside with a unique smile and a syringe in his hand. She arched an eyebrow, waiting for an explanation from him and he answered right away.

"I imagined a soft drug would calm down Mr. Crawford and make him a little more cooperative"

"Excellent idea!" she was surprised and then she looked at the ceiling, like trying to hear something "even the rain seemed to stop" she smiled and finally entered the place, but right before she could do it, Sebastian stopped her by grabbing her arm, bringing her closer to him.

"Be careful" he whispered.

"I will…" she looked at him in the eyes, trying very hard to ignore how sharp and seductive they were and then she walked down the stairs to reach the basement.

It was a dark place she had visited many times before. The books that once were there were moved to the first floor studio, accommodating the place so Aidan Crawford could be held there. And so he was, sitting in a chair. Judging by the look on his face, he was about to fall asleep; a consequence of the drug Sebastian just gave him.

Susanna locked the door behind her making as much noise as possible and stood in front of him. Her attitude was imposing and the fear she felt a few minutes before turned into hate and rancor. All she had kept inside finally found a relief when she punched him in the face with all her strength.

His nose was now bleeding, staining his white shirt. The suit he was wearing seemed to be quite fancy, but after everything that happened the day before, it was torn and dirty, and his face looked gaunt. His eyes looked with rage at Susanna and his messy blond hair made her think she was dealing with a normal human being, just like any other, but with special gift to change the weather.

"I've been meaning to do that for a long time… and you know? I think I'll save the kicks for later on" she said with satisfaction.

"Do what you want, but you won't get any information"

"We'll see about that. I suppose I could persuade you with the right tools" she walked away from him and leaned on the wall "are you intimidated by my butler?... so much you'd even try to buy him?"

"How could you say that thing is your butler?... after all you've done, I thought you would be smarter" he seemed a little upset, as if he was scolding her "demons are fickle… creatures who are not to be trusted"

"It is curious that you say that. Please, try not to bite your tongue… do you have any idea of what Schneider was doing?" she was now upset "or the consequences of the final linkage? If you're afraid of Sebastian, I honestly can't imagine how you'll feel when there are demons, vagrant souls and supernatural beings wandering around and pretty much everywhere"

"Well, well… now you look like a true hero" he mocked and looked at the floor as if he was assimilating something "you want to stop the final linkage and save the world. How lovely"

"Yes. I want to stop the linkage, but I'm not after any moral victories… that's been lost for a long time…" she talked with nostalgia and there was a moment of silence "I've sold my soul to a demon in order to stop you… one by one, just like you've been hunting my family, without giving a shit about anything and using the cruelest methods you could imagine" her eyes were watery and she approached Aidan Crawford to pull his hair and yell at him "do you have any idea of what they did to me?... what they were about to do? I just couldn't go through all that… so I sold my soul, and now I'm two steps away from finishing with all this. I'm two steps from hell"

"You were supposed to be dead…"

"Yes, I know. Maybe I'm just a living dead" she was getting impatient "but I want you to tell me something: to bring the fallen angel you have to meet certain conditions, right? first, you need those gifts" she used a mocking tones "as you call them. Ivan Reznik telepathy, Schneider's summon, which by the way, caused me a lot of pain in the leg and a terrible wound to my butler, as well as… a…certain… someone else who's important to me" after saying that, the man laughed "what's so funny?"

"We never thought this could happen" he looked away with a melancholic gaze "everything should have been very different. You weren't supposed to be surrounded by demons nor reapers. We never saw you as a threat" he said in a moment of reckoning "I already told you, you were supposed to die along with your parents. It took us a lot of money and time to find you, so I hope your kidnap was worth it…" his voice became mocking again and that made her even angrier.

"Silence!" she punched him again and then she got closer to him and whispered "you'll regret this… I swear you will…"

And then she left the room and went upstairs as fast as she could as tears drowned on her throat, burning like never before because of the helplessness of not being able to kill him right away. Susanna needed to keep him alive until she got the information she needed, and that was precisely what she would get by other means. In the meantime, she needed to relax and get away from him to control her own emotions.

When she left the place, she found her butler who was, most likely hearing the conversation and more than willing to take care of the interrogatory.

"Are you alright? I can get all the information from him, if you'd like. I would take me a couple minutes…"

"Thanks, but it won't be necessary" for an instant the possibility of letting Sebastian do the dirty work crossed her mind, but she couldn't depend on him for everything, so she decided to take a few plastic bags from the kitchen, a shovel from the garden and then returned to the basement, under the suspicious glances of the butler.

As soon as she entered the room, she threw the bags on the floor and took the shovel to hit his right foot, making him scream in pain. She repeated the same action several times.

"Tell me… telepathy, summoning, my family's supernatural vision, Soler's astral projections and then you, controlling the weather… and now I'm the one who has them all… so you better tell me what are those gifts needed for"

"No… you can't…" he complained in pain "you can't use them. Women can't use the gifts"

"Thanks for confirming it… while I live, you won't get what you need"

"But if you died, all the gifts will go with Demian… and then we'll finally prove that God is dead… maybe that butler of your will join us in the end"

"You wish…" Sebastian's intentions had been clear for a while now. If he wanted the final linkage to take place, he would have done it already and yet, he was still by her side, showing the fidelity he professed so much. Aside of that, her hunch told her she could trust him, and if that wasn't enough for convince her, the reapers believed him too, so Crawford's attempt to make her doubt the demon butler were useless.

"What's Janssens-Guillot's gift?" she suddenly asked.

"You will have to find out by yourself... without my help. I'm not scared to die. Since the moment I woke up here, tied to this chair, I knew I would die soon and giving you any information wouldn't change a thing" his voice was slow and paused.

"That's true, but I could make your death faster… or slower. It's up to you" he laughed with irony and looked at the floor, with no intentions of speaking "or if you prefer, I could just call Sebastian so he could finish the job" he looked at her with horror in his eyes and there was a small spark of beg in his pupils "oh, don't tell me you are afraid… come on! You want to bring the fallen angel and perform the final linkage, which will join all dimensions, and you are scared of demons… are you stupid or what?"

"Demian offered us protection… our gifts will be multiplied after the linkage. For us and our descendants. You can't stop it, it's inevitable…everything is calculated. Even the smallest mistake. You are part of it too, even considering that you aren't supposed to be here, nor that demon… or reapers… It's a scheme that's been planned for more than a century. You should already know that. It's a flawless plan"

"Tell me how to stop it!" she got closer to him and moved his shoulder.

"I can't… everything's already done. It's just a matter of time and being at the right place. Numerology has always been our friend and if you think that summoning Odin's spear was all we have, wait until you see what we can do with some energy. It's a ritual we've been planning for a long time, and we've had enough practice. Every natural disaster; every earthquake, flood or tsunami, we practiced channeling and the ritual itself, but there was something missing every time… that last thing that would complete it all" and then his voice turned into a whisper "…soon… and it will be faster than you think"

Susanna stood there in silence, thoughtful after hearing Aidan Crawford's words. She was very far from getting Demian's location and she had heard what she feared the most: the final linkage was inevitable… or at least if would be if they didn't find a way to stop it. She felt powerless for a moment and the idea of everything she had done, gone to waste appeared in her mind.

Her hands turned into fists and she punched the wall with all her strength, not caring about her knuckles bleeding, wondering what was missing to complete the ritual. There had to be something missing, or they would have done it already. They both remained silent for several minutes; perhaps an hour while Susanna thought about all the possibilities and the meaning behind his words, until…

Contrasting with the weather on London's countryside, the reaper dimension was sunny and impassive. That place where everything seemed to be constant and static. The season change was the only indicative of time passing for them and with a nostalgic glance, William saw the clouds changing shapes in the sky. He was holding a cup of coffee, which helped him stay awake after the long working hours the day before. His min was distracted, miles away from his office. Without noticing, his thoughts went from the pile of reports on his desk to the corrupted cinematic records and then to that quote in Latin, which most likely had a hidden meaning,

He was meditative when he listened someone knocking on the door and an instant later, his mind was back in his office.

"Come on in" he stood next to his desk and Grell entered his office.

"Will, Dear. This came in for you" he handed the dark haired reaper an envelope with seals and stamps of the Reaper International Association, as well as the distinctive of certain country "were you expecting a letter?" the Supervisor's expression showed how unexpected it was and he hurried to open the envelope "is something wrong?" he started to read and then a huge silence invaded the office "Will?... William?"

"I need to take care of a special collection" his tone sounded colder than usual, so much that Grell immediately noticed it and with a very serious attitude he confronted him about it.

"It has to be something serious, if you're personally going to collect that soul…"

"It's not the soul, but the implications" he adjusted his glasses and put the letter on his jacket pocket, but after checking that day's to-die-list he asked "is Ronald still in his cubicle?"

"Ronald? I guess so… he had a few collections and he was preparing the files… are you going to tell me what's going on? William!" the redhead said as he followed his boss, who walked around the office looking for something and then he stopped and stood very still and turning to look at Grell.

"Is something related to Susanna Serafer and… all the implications" then he left the office and headed to Ronald's cubicle.

"If I'm not mistaken…" spoke Grell for himself "Ronnie had to collect a soul at the Serafer's mansion and… Sebas-chan!... Will, dear! Let me go with you!" he ran after the Supervisor, who was already gone.

As for the blond, he was sitting in his cubicle chilling and making time before leaving to collect those souls but when he saw his boss entering, with a cranky expression he stood up alarmed, expecting a scolding for breaking the rules in the past days. The thing was, he didn't remember if he had actually break any…

Lucky for him, William only asked for certain file, which belonged to the soul he was going to reap at the Serafer's mansion, then as fast as he arrived, William left, without giving the young reaper the chance to ask any questions.

Ronald's confusion was evident and before he could get any ideas Grell interrupted him. He practically ran inside his office.

"Has Will left already?"

"He just left, but…" then his attitude changed and he ached an eyebrow "do you want to see that demon so bad?"

"Of course I do!"

"I would be more worried about the boss' attitude. Something serious must have happened…"

"I know and it all started when I gave him that letter from overseas, but he didn't say anything about it, so… hey, where are you going?" he saw Ronald leaving the cubicle and walking towards the elevator.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm going to find out why so much mystery… I have friend in the foreign affairs department. I'll try to persuade her to tell me what's going on" he winked and then continued walking.

The interrogatory with Aidan Crawford continued but Susanna didn't get much information. Besides, she kept thinking about the last words the man told her and that was when an idea appeared on her mind and she wondered if that could be the answer to the most important question; if it was the missing piece to bring the fallen angel.

"A woman! That is what's missing. A woman to complete everything… are you trying to use me to complete the ritual?"

"It's more complicated than that… what time is it?"

"12:30" she looked at her cellphone and then put it back in her pocked "why? Do you have an appointment somewhere else?" she asked with sarcasm.

"No, but you do"

"Gee, just what I needed… you want to ness with my head, don't you?... believe me I have plenty of experience with that, so it won't work"

And without saying anything else she left the basement. Something in that place made her sick and she longed for some fresh air, so she went out to the back yard, where the weather was just like before, but now the lightning had stopped and the rain wasn't as heavy.

As soon as she was out she wondered where Sebastian was. She walked through the garden but didn't see him anywhere and he was supposed to be right outside the room where that man was held. Before she could give it more thought she heard a buzz in the distance; Susanna recognized that sound very well by then and she turned to look for the one who caused the noise.

It didn't take her long before she found him and as soon as she saw who it was she approached him with a warm smile to greet him. She forgot about the interrogatory and all the bad thing she thought after hearing Aidan Crawford's words for an instant. In that very moment there were only William, her and the rain.

Seeing the reaper made her feel a little nervous but nothing so evident thanks to that smile she tried to repress every time she was with him. Nevertheless, this time there was something different.

As soon as she noticed the cold and gloomy expression on the reaper's face, she knew something was wrong. Seeing the rain falling on hi perfectly combed hair and his faultless reaper attire made her think something bad had happened but she couldn't say exactly what was it.

He was standing on the garden, looking at her and hesitating a little before walking towards her. His eyes were fixed on the girl; intense and inexpressive green like the first time she looked at them, and yet there was something unnatural on them, as if he was forcing his own eyes to not betray him and show what he was thinking. As soon as he was in front of her, William looked down for an instant and then he adjusted his glasses, looking at her again.

"What's wrong?" he waked with worry, expecting the worst but nothing could have prepared her for what she was about to hear.

"Susanna… I was contacted by another country's branch of the Dispatch Society… from your hometown…" he sighed as he saw the girl's expression quickly change "I'm afraid that… you father is dead…"

"What?" she asked in surprise, hoping it was all a nightmare; a lie "No, it can't be… no…"

"They are sending me his cinematic record this afternoon and…"

"No, it's impossible… I have to…" she didn't finish saying that last thing and ran towards her studio, ready to make a phone call that could give her some good news about her adoptive father, telling her he was fine.

The only thing William could do was to stand right there, seeing her running in despair only to find out it was true. He couldn't feel sorry for her, nor guilty for the man's death; that would be almost fatal for him, but he couldn't help but feeling bad for Susanna. Seeing her like that was overwhelming, and that was only the beginning.

He felt impotent and didn't know what to do, so he decided to wait until she went out again. It wouldn't take long before she did; he knew, because he had a job to do there and she had something to do with it.

The rain was falling on his face and it reminded him where he was and under what circumstances, so he looked for shelter under a tree nearby the basement door, where Mr. Crawford awaited his destiny. It was a matter of minutes now.

When Susanna entered the house she met Sebastian, who wore a serious expression, very unusual and then she knew it was true. She didn't need to verify it. Apparently the butler already knew and when he explained he received a phone call, letting him know what had happened, she felt a terrible hole in her chest; some kind of emptiness that couldn't be filled again. Not anymore.

"It looks like they were Demian janssens-Guillot orders… I…" he made a pause and choose his words "before we left for Sweden I assigned your father a few bodyguards. They were only a preventive measure but now… the bodyguards were assassinated… it was an armed group…"

"I understand… and I don't need to know all the details… not now" the girl's voice was quiet and filled with pain, but she seemed to be about to cry and crumble. She was in shock.

From the dining room, Fer, Abby and Mr. Haggard witnessed the scene. Fer heard Sebastian while he took the call and as soon as he saw his expression he knew they weren't good news, so he hurried to tell the other employees so they could be there in case they were needed but in situations like that, there wasn't much to do but watch and smile to show sympathy for the grief.

"I'm very sorry for your…" the demon started to solemnly say but she interrupted him.

"Stop it…" her tone was cold "don't say things you don't feel or pretend to be something you are not…" and then she walked with steady steps towards the basement.

Her ears buzzed and everything around her disappeared. Her objective was clear and she was decided to complete it. She left the house and walked towards the back entrance of the basement. It was still raining, her clothes and hair soaking wet but that didn't make her walk any faster. It was as if she was walking in slow motion, and on her way there a voice called for her.

"Susanna…" it was William, but she didn't even look at him. He couldn't do anything about it; he couldn't interfere with the world of the living, but he wished to stop her, at least until she calmed down a little.

Once inside the basement, the girl looked at Aidan Crawford, who was expecting her with a triumphal smile on his lips. Despite of being tied to the chair and his particular situation he had an arrogant attitude which only made Susanna even more furious.

"Everything was planned!"

"I told you that, but you didn't believe me… every movement and every small detail is part of the plan. And for every mistake we make, we already have a solution. And this time we killed two birds with a single stone"

"We were talking about the final linkage and…" suddenly her voice became deeper "you know what's next, right?"

"Yes, and I only regret not using that asshole as a sacrifice for the demons"

"I hope you suffer, son of a bitch!"

And then she punched him in the face as hard as she could and took the shovel to punch his stomach with all her strength and then she threw it away to grab him by the throat, feeling his larynx bending under her fingers, making it impossible for him to breath. Suddenly she felt nausea and let him go, but she didn't have the lightest intention of sparing his life or give him a quick death, so she took one of the plastic bags and put them on his head.

He instinctively struggled but it was useless. His arms and feet were tied. At first the plastic bag was filled with the remaining air from his lungs and then it was stuck on his face as he tried to get breath.

Yes, Susanna would enjoy every instant of Aidan Crawford's agony, and it clearly showed on his eyes. The man used all his strength to untie himself from the chair but the ropes that held him had very hard knots and threads of blood ran down his fingers. The girl found some pleasure on seeing him struggling for his life until the last breath. His eyes were injected with blood and little by little, as if it was a candle, she saw his vitality extinguishing as he slowly died, as if all the angst of the world showed on his face.

A little after that, a yellow mist left his body and Susanna absorbed it; the power was her but this time, the assassination didn't cause her any satisfaction… she wouldn't have it until everything was over. For the time being, she only had a terrible sensation of emptiness on what was left of her already doomed soul and for the first time she considered the possibility of everything being useless… in vain; selling her soul, assassinating so many people and giving up salvation, only to realize she couldn't to solve a single thing, or worse… that her revenge tasted like ashes.

Instants later, William entered the small room with solemn attitude and after checking it with certain scrutiny, looking for God knows what, he proceeded to collect Aidan Crawford's soul with his death scythe and then marking the paper inside a folder with a seal that said "complete". It was that man's file and the cause of dead was asphyxia by the hand of Susanna Serafer.

 _ **Author's notes:**_

 _ **Hi guys, what do you think about this first "reaper route" update? I hope you liked it. William is a wonderful character and I think it has a lot to offer to the general plot, so let's see what comes next.**_

 _ **TfallingangelT: Yes, indeed it's a love triangle ;)**_


	27. Last words (Sebastian)

**Chapter 25 demon route.**

 **Last words.**

Sebastian's expression showed how alarmed he was as he ran towards Susanna, who just entered a violent frenzy, grabbing again the hammer to punch the corpse once again, screaming and crying like never before.

It took him a bigger effort to restrain her and take the hammer away from her; she seemed to have more strength than before, and yet he wasn't even close to be a match for his power. He took her away from Mr Crawford's corpse and tried to calm her down as William collected the cinematic record.

Screams and yells filled the room. A cry with very few tears. The kind that comes from the soul itself, and when it does, it's along with terrible laments that leave anyone breathless for some moments. Susanna's mind started to spin and showed her terrible images; not only pictures of what she had just done, but the death of each and every one of her victims, as if she was re-living the past month's story, until they went back to that terrible moment when she was about to die, defiled and tortured; right before making the contract with Sebastian.

Moments later, her breathing accelerated as if she was hyperventilating and stopped struggling with Sebastian to get rid of his tight grip. She put her hands on her ears to ears, trying to quiet the yelling voices inside her head, loud as hell. Susanna wasn't herself. Terror and madness controlled her mind and the demon didn't know what to do, but to try to calm her down without much success.

Sebastian thought about using his powers to leave her unconscious but it would be impossible in that state, so he thought using valium would be a better choice, but William got closer to her and laid her down in the floor, allowing her to adopt fetal position.

For a few instants the reaper's glance reflected sadness and compassion, but then it showed determination and after taking off his gloves he touched the girl's face and stared at her in the eyes, calling for her and using a firm and deep voice.

"Susanna… Susanna, look at me. Look at me and get out of there" then she stopped yelling but her eyes seemed dead and her body trembled violently "Susanna… focus on my eyes. Get out of that dark place. You don't belong there… it's alright, you're safe. Neither that demon, nor me will let anything happen to you" Sebastian immediately looked at him in disbelief… was the reaper acknowledging he would also take care of her? "you know that, right?... now, I want you to take a deep breath and calm down. Come back…"

The girl began to calm down and after a moment she was herself again, but she seemed to be out of strength and words. William helped her stand up and once he was sure she could stand by herself he looked at Sebastian"

"She better get some rest and…"

"I understand" the butler got closer to her and took her in his arms. The demon's attitude towards the reaper seemed colder than usual. They barely tolerated each other but Sebastian's indifference was too noticeable for William. Susanna couldn't see it, though. She seemed to be absent, with her eyes lost in the distance; dead. She was exhausted.

As soon as Sebastian held her in his arms, carrying her, he walked towards the basement door. For a few instants she used her arms to get a grip of the butler's neck but she let go of it soon enough because she felt very weak. Of course, he made sure of holding her tight but that only made the image scarier, especially because of the blood on the girl's clothes, face and arms.

William could only saw them left the place and closed the door behind him, felling an emptiness appearing inside his chest he couldn't explain. He should be satisfied after collecting that man's cinematic record, but… he felt something way too different and decided to linger a little more at the manor. Something made him stay there for a while. He was worried about Susanna.

Once they reached the girl's room, Sebastian made sure she sat on the couch and he entered the bathroom to prepare the bath. Susanna was covered in blood and she had to clean herself, but unlike what he would have done in other circumstances, the butler called Abby so she would help the girl.

When Abby entered the room and saw Susanna she was very surprised, almost shocked. She could imagine what had happened and even though she didn't justify it, she understood why she did it, so without asking questions, she helped her to get inside the tub. Then she helped her to put on her pajama and guided her to the bed.

Although she didn't say a single word, Susanna moved by her own, by inertia. Once she was lying down, Abby gave her a last glance and then walked towards the door.

"I'll be downstairs if you need anything" she smiled at Susanna. A smile that showed some pity and before she could open the door, Sebastian did it for her.

"Thank you, Abby" and with his eyes, he told her to leave the room. He wanted to be alone with her. Once he was sure there wasn't anyone nearby, trying to hear their conversations, he asked "how are you feeling, Milady?"

She didn't answer. She just stared at the roof. She felt as if all her strength left her and her eyes were wet. A constant buzz flooded her ears and she knew it wouldn't be long before guilt invaded her. Sebastian was aware that things weren't well at all. It was different this time; now she had a motive to be like that and her actions only made it worse. He saw her cry and her face was the one of someone defeated… shredded.

The demon didn't like the image at all. He cared for her and that implied her wellbeing; unlike the girl who was lying in the bed. For an instant, he reproached himself for letting her do such atrocity. It seemed like a good idea at the moment; it was according to his plans, but the consequences weren't the ones he hoped for

Sebastian smiled at her; a smile that was almost sweet as he caressed her hair, trying to console her, but it wasn't for long because she spoke.

"Bring me a bottle of rum, some ice and leave me alone. It's an order" she said coldly, not even looking at him; her gaze was stuck on the roof and all he could do was to follow her orders.

"As you wish" and then he walked out the door and came back a few minutes later with what she asked for.

He knew that situation wouldn't end along with the bottle of liquor… it would do it after many more, and that's how she spent the rest of the week: Susanna drinking and getting wasted alone in her room as she shed tears of pain and rage, and him guarding her door, unable to do anything about it, but he knew she needed to let it out. That's how humans worked, or at least that was what Sebastian had seen though all his years of experience. She needed time and he was willing to give it to her, even when something inside of him urged the butler to force the door and enter the room every time he heard her scream and cry, but the being the demon he was, he wouldn't know that to do to make her feel better.

He checked on her twice a day, to see if she needed something and make sure she was alright, but she never spoke to him . He was the one who always tried to make conversation, nevertheless she was too upset or drunk to make a conversation.

In one of his visits, Sebastian moved one of the curtains, letting some light enter the room. His expression was serious and upset because he knew what he'd find. It was raining and the silhouette of a man dressed in black, holding a pair of garden clippers could be seen.

William had an inquisitive look on his face, which seemed to judge the demon from where he was standing. Of course, the butler didn't care at all, but he was bothered by the reaper's constant presence on the past few days; every time Sebastian looked at the garden, the reaper was there, looking at the girl's window.

A few days later, Sebastian had enough of that situation, and suddenly entered Susanna's room, with steady steps, adjusting his jacket. His attitude was formal and serious. There was determination in his eyes and when he saw her sitting by the bed he knew exactly what to do.

"It's enough… you are only hurting yourself and I've given you plenty of time so you could have your tantrum. Now is time to move on, and if it's not for revenge, at least do your best to appear sober on your father's funeral" she looked at him with hatred in her eyes and then she extended her hand so he could help her stand up.

"I... have to… have to take a bath…" she was clearly intoxicated, but her words were still understandable.

"I agree… would you like my assistance?"

"Don't you dare to take advantage of this… I still can do it alone" Susanna said as she grabbed his arm to maintain balance and not fall down, cursing herself for depending too much on him. Once she was in the bathroom, she used the tub to avoid falling down. Her head was spinning around and she had a hard time focusing her eyes. She was sure it was just a matter of time before nausea invaded her "but… remain outside, just in case"

Susanna had a really hard time to bath. The soap and shampoo fell from her hands and in the end she had to sit down in the tub to get clean. When she finished, she used the bathrobe and opened the door, finding her butler waiting for her next to what seemed to be an abundant breakfast and oral serum.

"What the… hell?" she managed to say as she leaned in the wall, trying not to fall.

Allow me" he got closed to her and helped her sit down in the couch "the funeral is in a couple hours and I have to make sure you're in conditions to be there. I wouldn't be correct if the head of the Serafer family made a fool of herself in public. Plenty of fluids, coffee, sugar and something rich in fat are the best for drunken individuals" he said with disgust.

"I think…" and suddenly she managed to stand up and run towards the bathroom. Sebastian had a naughty smile on his face.

"Of course, vomit works quite well too. Well thought, Milady" he was evidently enjoying her agony... within the limits, of course. It was some kind of vengeance after she completely ignored him on the past few days.

"Go to hell!"

"Milady… how kind of you to give me vacations, but I'm afraid it isn't appropriate right now" he continued making her angrier.

"Just…" she brushed her teeth and went out of the bathroom to sit down again in the couch "don't talk…" and with a tiny smile, he handed her a dish with pancakes and a big cup of coffee "thanks" she could barely finish her breakfast and Sebastian remained by her side all the time, studying her expressions and behaviour, making sure she felt better and a few minutes later she said "thank you… I think this worked"

"Of course, what kind of butler would I be if I wasn't capable of doing this much?" behind his elegant smile, he hid the relief he had after seeing better.

A few hours later, Susanna was ready to assist to the funeral. She was completely dressed in black and she walked down the stairs and went out through the main door, meeting Mr Haggard, who had a solemn attitude ad his eyed looked at her with compassion.

"Are you ready, Milady?" he asked kindly as he opened the car door.

"No, I'm not… but I must go" the girl's voice sounded lifeless, as if she wasn't herself.

"I'll be right behind you the whole time, in case you need me" Sebastian suddenly appeared behind her, wearing a black suit with a shirt and necktie on the same colour, and of course a pair of gloves that matched it. His outfit made him look solemn, attractive and a little spooky.

Susann got on the car without minding Sebastian's outfit too much. Right behind her, the demon and Mr Haggard entered the car.

The road to the cemetery was too short. She was having difficulties accepting her father was dead and she had to go to the funeral; up until that moment, she had thought he would be the one burying her.

Only Susanna and the house employees attended the funeral. He was her only family and she didn't feel like being surrounded by people who would only look at her with pity.

The girl didn't pay attention to the religious ceremony. She was doing everything like a robot, but for the first time in a week, she felt alive. Perhaps it was the pain, the guilt or the fresh air touching her face, but she knew she had to face everything one way or another and despite it all, the constant presence of Sebastian next to her gave her all the courage and support she needed. She knew that, if she fell, he would be there to help her stand again and stop her from hurting herself, even though he would do it on his own way.

When everything was over, the girl walked with steady steps towards the cemetery entrance, but inside, she felt she was about to crumble. Her butler was right behind her, protecting her without saying a word. He knew it wasn't the right moment and at the same time, he was interested on seeing her reactions and the way she would handle it all.

Before they left the cemetery, a man dressed in black approached them. His expression made him look as if he was emotionally distant from the whole situation, but that was his job.

"Susanna…" his voice was kind, in contrast with his PORTE

"Will, what are you doing here?"

"I've been meaning to talk to you but…" he made a pause, choosing the words he was about to say "I know you haven't been well and…"

"Mr Spears, this is not the time for you to meddle" said the demon with a serious voice and a spark of threatening.

"Wait for me in the car, Sebastian"

"As you wish" he said with resignation, but the butler wouldn't take his eyes off the reaper. He seemed to be more possessive than usual. It was a way to protect her and somehow, keeping her by his side.

"Thank you for coming" Susanna's voice was lifeless only on the surface; thousands of feelings were about to overflow her chest.

"It's alright. I wanted to be here. I heard the news about an hour after it… happened. I received a message from the branch in…" he didn't finish the sentence because he realized his explanation sounded rather cold "I'm sorry it had to be this way. Your father loved you very much. Until the end"

"Despite the situation, I think it was better this way… at least he didn't have to deal with my death"

"Please, don't say that…" William felt something similar to a knot appearing on his stomach. The idea of the girl's soul being devoured by that demon was repulsive.

"It's the truth" she commented very serious "but I have to move on"

"If you need anything, don't hesitate on contacting me and… I'll be there for you; any time" the reaper suddenly felt a strange longing for holding her but he contained himself as his eyes showed great sorrow.

"Thank you, William. See you later" she smiled as if it was a reflex action and walked towards the car, where Sebastian waited for her patiently.

Meanwhile, the reaper saw her going away. Her figure seemed to be smaller than usual because of how vulnerable she was in that moment and when his eyes sow the demon next to the car, opening the door and looking at her in a very particular way, the image of a little bunny entering a hungry wolf cave, came to his mind.

When they arrived home, Susanna hurried to open the door and get out for the car as soon as it stopped. Sebastian took that action by surprise, but decided to give her some space and exchanged concerned glances with Mr Haggard.

The girl headed to the studio. She planned on locking herself there and spend the rest of the afternoon there. She didn't know quite well why; she didn't have the slightest intention of continuing with the investigations or working. She only sat in the chair and looked through the window after turning on the stereo, playing a melancholic disc; Handel's Sarabande.

Unanticipatedly, a little noise coming from the door was heard. She made sure to lock it with her key after entering, which was apparently useless and when she saw Sebastian entering, she knew why.

His expression was serious but it didn't frightened her. He slowly approached Susanna and she admired each one of his moves. Suddenly, everything seemed to be surreal; she found herself in front of a demon butler who, undoubtedly would consume her soul, and she didn't care. The contrast between his presence and the music was fascinating.

"Milady…" his serious expression disappeared and smiled at her, flirtingly "has anyone told you… colour black suits you quite well"

"Oh, please don't start" she said a little annoyed, but something in Sebastian's attitude made her laugh a little, maybe because of his mischievous eyes or his voice tone, but it made her feel a little better.

"I just wanted to check if you needed something… preferably not alcohol… maybe some tea, or a walk in the city, perhaps a visit to the museum or I could make arrangements for an exclusive ride in the London eye"

"Tempting… but I'm exhausted" she said cheerless, which Sebastian didn't like at all because she was lacking that spark and intensity she always had, so he spoke with sincerity.

"I'm sorry I can't be of much help… I can't walk in your shoes, but… I want you to know that you can lean on me for anything" she smiled and sighed and there was silence for a moment "your father told me something right before we left for England, would you like to know what?"

"What are you talking about?" he managed to pick her attention.

"Before we got on the cab he told me to take care of you. His exact words were _take care of her. I don't know what kind of problems she will face in England, but it has to be something serious for someone like you to come looking for her. I only ask you to take care of Susanna. Do whatever you have to do to keep her safe and if something happens to her… I won't care about what or who you are… just take care of her_ "

"I had no idea…" she looked at the floor in a melancholic way. Her eyes were filled with tears, but none went out. She was too tired and suddenly something came to her mind and looked at the butler as she stood in front of him "do you mean that… he knew something about you? I mean… did he noticed something… anything?" she sounded worried.

"I don't think he knew what I really am but he suspected something from the beginning and…" he made a pause "what I would like you to understand is that your adoptive father loved you so much and he trusted me to take care of you" the butler's voice was serene and warm. It made her relax a little and down her guard "I gave him my word and I won't take it back. And want you to know that it's not only because of the contract" and then Sebastian showed his demon eyes, intense and deep as always but Susanna wasn't afraid, she only felt a strange sensation that told her he was being honest "I'm a demon and I'll never know how or what humans feel. It' different with us. There are no words nor concepts that could describe what goes through our minds; what our true essence really is" she looked at him, very interested on his words "I wouldn't dare to say we have feelings… it's something more rational; consequence of our actions and which, right now, demands me to be here, right next to you and protect you. That is real and I would dare to say it's way deeper than human feelings… I won't let anything happen to you. There's no way I will allow that"

And then Sebastian took the girl's hand, kindly and without not breaking the eye contact, softly kissing her hand. As for her, she blushed a little and was very surprised, although she didn't know why. The demon's actions were unexpected but his words said a lot more than a simple promise to take care of her, while his eyes showed something deeper… something she wasn't ready to face, but she was sure about something: she could lean on him. He wouldn't fail her. He could be her support and wouldn't let her fall; the hand that could help her stand up.

Once again her eyes were filled with tears and she couldn't stop them from falling. Then she took him by surprise, hugging him all his strength as she cried the last tears she had… the most painful.

For an instant, he opened his eyes in surprise, but then he hugged her back, caressing her back as she cried. And during that moment, his demon nature made him hold her in his arms for as long as she needed. She had to be his…

 _ **Author's notes:**_

 _ **Hi guys! This is the second part of Sebastian's route (remember that the story was divided in two, although it's basically the same plot and the only difference is on the romantic development).**_

 _ **As you can see, the fanfic has an illustrated cover now. I'm so excited about it! It took me several months to find someone to make the digital draw for me and I was about to give up when I found the amazing Luis Antonio Zamora. He's a great guy, with lots of creativity and patience, but most of all this is a big shout out for him. I'll leave the link for his works on deviantart on my profile page, so go ahead and check it out ;)**_

 _ **I hope you liked this chapter and, like always, thanks for reading and if you have any comment, don't hesitate on letting me know and tell me what you think of the new illustration.**_

 _ **Take care!**_


	28. Last rites (William)

**Chapter 25 reaper route.**

 **Last rites.**

After finishing with his job, William looked at the girl for an instant, expecting her to say something. He didn't have the slightest idea of what to do. He had fulfilled his duty but something else kept him in that place, and that something was someone: Susanna, who looked at him with a somber expression. He answered the gesture with concern and clemency towards the girl's soul, which he could superficially saw thanks to his reaper eyes.

Susanna felt her heart was about to explode. Terrible nausea invaded her and thousands of feelings flooded inside her. It was impossible to contain the tears another minute and the image of the shinigami in front of her incited her to cry. She was about to do it when another individual dressed in black entered the room.

"Is there anything you need, Milady?" Sebastian got closer to her and looked at the girl with curiosity, very aware of the fact that she was about to face an emotion catharsis, but he wasn't willing to let William console her, or even saw it.

"Why do you have to make things harder?" she looked at the butler with reproach and then looked at the reaper, who remained on the same place and she immediately regretted almost show herself vulnerable in front of him "I would like to be alone…"

And then she left the basement, leaving the two men with Aidan Crawford's body. They followed her with their eyes but none of them intended to stop her, and as soon as she was outside the basement William looked at Sebastian with an angry and lethal expression.

"You could have stopped her… but that would be expecting too much from a demon like you and…" he was interrupted by the butler.

"And what do you care?... you think you know her, but you ignore the fact the in these situations she could be very stubborn. You should have stopped her if you worry so much. One or two extra corpses will only a dd spice to her soul and to for me…"

"I feel sick just by listening to your words, you blithering wanker" he interrupted "… you know very well I couldn't have stopped her. I can only remove someone from the to-die list if they are important for humanity and…"

"If that's your job, you shouldn't complain. Just take care of serving your sentence…"

"How dare you?!" William threatened him with his death scythe and the demon smiled.

"Looks like I touched a nerve…" he turned around "I won't fight you. Susanna would get angry if I did something to you, and that is not part of my plans, so…"

"You are only using her and I won't allow it"

"Well, well. Looks like you've grown fond of her" and then he looked at the reaper with his demon eyes "how touching… but unfortunately for you…" he walked towards him with challenging attitude and it took all of his willpower to not stab him in the chest with his death scythe "I won't let you get any closer. Although I won't force her final decision, I'll use all my resources so she will chose me"

"And do you expect me to believe you?"

"Do what you want. She will give me her soul willingly, not only because the contract compels her to, and not only that; her complete existence will be mine, by her own volition. I couldn't care less about what you think or say, but…" and brought his face closer to William's "keep in mind that you prejudices about me keep you from seeing the truth" then he walked away, leaving the basement and when he was finally out, where the reaper couldn't hear him he said "I do care for her… more than meets the eye"

And then Sebastian entered the manor and took care of the paperwork needed to bring Susanna's father belongings and body so she could bury him in London.

Meanwhile, William was still standing in the basement, repeating in his mind the last words the demon said. He hated to admit that there was some truth in his words and his actions showed that his intentions were beyond only eating Susanna's soul. Nevertheless, far from relieving him, it worried him even more and felt some kind of emptiness in his stomach. A relatively new sensation for the reaper, since he had been familiarizing with it for the past couple months and now he seemed to understand here it came from.

For the first time in many decades he didn't mind to work overtime and decided to remain at the Serafer manor for the rest of the day. He would fill the complete report later on, along with the paperwork on his desk; he wouldn't leave Susanna alone under the claws of Sebastian. Not when he finally understood what the demon was after.

The next day, William started to work since the early morning; the clock pointed 5AM when he started to prepare the collection's report. It wasn't' a normal work because it was a corrupted cinematic record and as expected, the file was incomplete. The missing fragments were the most important, because they contained the information needed to stop the Final Linkage, but for the Supervisor of the Reaper Dispatch Society that wasn't even the worse part.

He spent the whole afternoon and part of the night watching over Susanna. After she murdered Aidan Crawford in cold blood, she locked herself in her room and didn't come out for the rest of the day… or night. William knew nothing bad would happen to her if he left her alone for a while, but seeing her in that state made him feel uneasy and at the same time he knew there was nothing he could do about it.

The reaper felt a terrible headache coming from his temples, caused by lack of sleeping and overthinking. He leaned his head on the back of his chair and sighed, almost giving in to the temptation of taking off his necktie, but he didn't. He had to keep his professional image, even in the most difficult situations. Perhaps, this was the worst issue he had faced along his long years as shinigami, but he couldn't keep thinking about it because someone knocked on his door.

"Come on in"

"Sir?" Ronald opened the door "there's a special delivery for you. It comes from the international affairs office and…" he noticed William's tired semblance "did something happen with yesterday's collection?"

"Nothing, really. The cinematic record is corrupted and that demon is always lurking around… or not lurking at all, along with…" he sighed "all the implications that come with a situation like this one…"

"I see…" Ronald relaxed a little and played with the package he was holding "I bet Susanna isn't feeling so well after her father's death" he talked about the cinematic record inside the package and paid special attention to his boss' reaction "if you'd like to, I could go and take a look. You know, only to make sure she's fine and…"

"Ronald…" he said with a persuasive voice but the younger reaper continued talking.

"Or perhaps you'd prefer to go yourself. After all, you two are…"

"Mr. Knox" this time he raised his voice "I believe you have work to do. Leave the package on my desk and go back to your cubicle" he said with cold voice as he stood up and walked towards the file storage cabinet, looking for a file.

"Yes sir" the blond did as he was told, but before leaving the office he stopped and whispered "there's nothing wrong in worrying. After all, we are not insensible beings and spending centuries trying to, would be a mistake. That is, of course, as long as we don't lose our perception of death" the younger reaper was very sensate and William didn't expect that.

As soon as Ronald left the office, the Supervisor turned to look at the package in his desk. It was a copy of Susanna's father cinematic record. He had to take a look at it, search for something relevant and then add it to the girl's file, which he was holding in his hands in that very moment, but he hesitated a little before going back to his desk and open the package. He stared at it for a few moments and then he got ready to work, vacillating before checking it, as if a strange sensation of remorse took over him…

The next day at the Serafer residence, Sebastian was signing paperwork to receive four perfectly sealed boxes. He did his best to accelerate the shipment of Susanna's father belongings. He also took care of all the remaining business on the girl's country so she didn't have to worry about anything, but the remaining tasks would be difficult for her.

The butler ordered Fer and Abby to put the boxes in the downstairs studio while he let Susanna know the shipment had arrived. During the past two days she had only left her room to go to the kitchen for some ice and two bottles of rum.

He knocked softly on the door, in case she was sleeping, but she wasn't. A weak voice came from the other side.

"May I come in, Milady?"

"Yes…" when the butler entered the room, he found the girl lying in the floor, looking at the room and then she turned to look at him. Right next to her, there were the two bottles of whiskey and her bed was undone. The image wasn't that terrible or pathetic as he had expected, but when he saw her swollen eyes his expression became softer and kneeled next to her "is something the matter?"

"I wanted to check how you were doing… and I also came to tell you that we've received some boxes with you father's belongings"

"Really?" she sat "I thought it would take longer"

"I made sure it didn't and…" his tone went from being serious and diplomatic to something warmed "I'm worried about you, Milady… is there something I can do? Perhaps…" he got closer to her, his face was inches away from hers and his glance didn't threaten her; it was kind and honest. His eyes were the ones of his human form and they pierced hers.

The girl didn't react. She only let herself go under the demon's glance. She was still sitting and didn't even try to move. Susanna didn't have enough energy to fight him and something on his eyes made it even harder. Nevertheless, Sebastian noticed how empty her eyes seemed as she looked at him, reflecting so much humanity and so full of feelings that he stopped.

"Aren't you going to do anything?" she asked and he remained silent. He didn't move or get closer and after an instant he spoke again "anyways… let's see what's in those boxes" Susanna was about to stand up but un a matter of seconds, Sebastian's hand was in front of her to help her do it.

They both went down to the studio and she gathered all her strength to cross the door and start with the tortuous task.

The first box she opened had a few sweaters and glasses her father used to wear. She decided to keep a couple of those and get rid of the rest. Each box had different items, such as pipes, neckties, watches and even photographs.

When she found certain portrait she felt the air in her lungs leaving her and she was almost incapable of breathing again. It was a picture of her father and her on her graduation day. He was smiling and seemed to be proud of her as he hugged the high school graduate.

She must had been staring at the picture for more than a minute because Sebastian noticed her mood change. She didn't seem sad. It was something different that he couldn't describe and caused him tremendous intrigue.

"Is something wrong?" Sebastian asked with curiosity and she looked at him in a very particular way. She shouldn't forget he was a demon and human emotions were completely alien and illogic for him.

"It's just that…" she looked around and saw the objects inside the boxes "they're my father's stuff… that's all" her eyes became watery and it was impossible for her to keep talking, so she just continued separating the things she wanted to keep and the ones she would get rid of.

"Milady, aside of this shipping there's something else… this afternoon we'll have to go to identify your father's the body at the morgue…"

"Alright…" she said in cold voice, avoiding to think on the inevitable and Sebastian seemed to have understood, so he didn't make any comments about it and only kept an eye on her while she finished with the boxes.

And while that happened, from one of the trees in the garden, William witnessed the scene. He felt oddly impotent and weird as he saw what happened; seeing Susanna's sorrow and how difficult it was for her to even move or breath; fragile and sad like never before and he couldn't help but thinking how beautiful she seemed within all that vulnerability. Her soul and essence changed and more than ever, she felt a great impulse to protect her and keeping her close, but his hands were tied. It wasn't correct to the eyes of his own principles and integrity.

On the other hand, he knew Susanna could feel him nearby. Her family gifts allowed her to detect any paranormal presence and seeing beings from different dimensions, and the fact that she hadn't even looked at him was a signal for him to keep his distance… or at least that's what he thought.

Getting rid of her father's belongings was a heartbreaking experience, but it didn't compare with identifying the body, and yet she felt incapable of crying. The moment was brief; Sebastian made sure they didn't stay there longer than necessary but the worst was yet to come. The funeral would be the next.

Parish Church of Saint John the Evangelist: there wasn't many people, only a few members of the directive counsel of AstraZeneca, who were there only for diplomatic reasons but the only ones who were close to Susanna were Fer, Abby and Mr. Haggard. Sebastian remained next to her for the whole religious ceremony and despite her objections. She was sure his body would suffer something similar to an instant combustion as soon as he entered the temple… but nothing strange happened and he continuously kept an eye on her. There was something that made her look vulnerable and even though the demon had always seen humans as fragile creatures, he thought she was even more in than moment.

From the beginning of the ceremony, before entering the church, Susanna noticed a familiar presence nearby but she couldn't find that certain character. She didn't give it much of a thought anyway because she was too tired… although she felt a deep desire to speak with the owner of such presence.

William saw the mass from the second floor of the church, behind the pipe organ where he couldn't be seen and along with it, he used that special grim reaper ability to appear invisible to the human eye; Susanna was capable of seeing him and he preferred to speak with her alone, without that demon lurking around; the same demon who was showing himself very protective of her, which bothered the Supervisor even more.

The hardest moment for the girl was when the coffin left the church and was taken to the cemetery. The image of the wooden ornamental box leaving that cold place gave her goosebumps and she couldn't see it for another instant. She looked down and noticed Sebastian, who until that moment remained behind her, standing next to her, offering his arm so she could lean on him with a gesture of honest kindness.

She didn't hesitate on grabbing his arm for a moment. She needed it because his legs were about to give in, so she took his arm with all her strength trying not to fall. And when they were out of the church, finally away from the intense smell of wood and incense; abandoning the pretension of being strong, she started to cry.

From the roof of the church, still hiding from human eyes, the reaper saw it all. He held tight his death scythe, bearing and struggling with the desire of being next to her and comfort her but… what would he say? He didn't know how to behave in a situation like that. It was something new for him and meanwhile, Susanna's crying was full of sentiment, sorrow and hopelessness. She could barely stay standing and then Sebastian's arms surrounded her to help her walk without falling.

The demon seemed impassive and powerful next to her and William held his death scythe eve tighter. He didn't trust on Sebastian's "good" intentions with Susanna, but he, himself wasn't doing anything about it, so a great impotence invaded him.

The road from the Parish Church of Saint John the Evangelist to Kensal Green cemetery was short; they were very near and Susanna didn't want to get there.

Before stepping out of the car, she put on a pair of sunglasses and when Sebastian opened the door for her, he offered her his arm so she could hold on to him. Again, she didn't hesitate on accepting it and tears kept flowing from her eyes. The only thought inside her mind was a plea for the sorrow to stop. She didn't want to be there and she got more nervous with every step the made.

The cemetery was so quiet. There wasn't anyone around, but the people from the funeral procession and they walked slowly. Susanna's father grave wasn't so far from the entrance and they were in front of it in less than fifteen minutes. The girl's agony was about to end.

About an hour and a half later there was no one left; even the house employees left, except for Sebastian, who was waiting for Susanna in the car. The only sound was the one of the wind blowing around and some leaves moving through the long road that crossed the cemetery. The dawn caused the marble and stone statues reflect shadows in the ground and the freshly cut grass of Kensal Green. Susanna was standing in front of the grave, where the stone was shiny and new.

She was silently looking at the date craved in the stone: 1950-2015. She felt completely lonely and not only because she was the only one there; there was no one left for her. All promises of salvation after mortal life were gone for several months now and her only family was dead. Hopelessness invaded her and some tears went down her cheeks.

She knew she wouldn't see her father again and the pain toke over her even more. She couldn't say goodbye to him and it crushed her heart until it was broken in pieces.

The sound of steps approaching took her out of her thoughts. They were steady and rhythmic, undoubtedly heading to where she was standing. When she turned to see who it was, she was very surprised, since it was the last person she expected to see, but at the same time it seemed so natural.

"I knew you would be here, Susanna" his voice was soft, almost like a whisper.

"Hello, William" she tried to no look at him because she didn't want him to see her cry. She wasn't ready for that "I should have imagined you'd be in a place like this" she tried to relax the atmosphere; say something that didn't make her look vulnerable or affected.

"Honestly… you really a completely mislead image of the grim reapers" he said with exasperation "we are there only in the moment of the death. The last rites…" he made a pause, thinking about what he just said. His coldness wasn't exactly what she needed "I mean… out job is finished way before the cemetery"

"I understand" the girl's voice was dry and she avoided saying more than necessary, fearing her words would crumble.

"This is something I hardly say, but… I'm sorry for your loss" he got closer to the girl and he could read the inscription in the grave, as well as Susanna's sad face.

"Are you serious?" there was a spark of sarcasm on her question and he didn't' see it coming. His expression showed it and it made her conscious of how rude she sounded. After all, he was being sensitive about her situation, which was a rather unusual attitude on him "thank you…" there was silence for an instant "I really appreciate it. I know you are used to seeing death every day and one more wouldn't mean a lot for you"

"I couldn't do my job properly if I did. It could even cost me my life" he said with a serious tone "what I'm really sorry for is that you're going through all this"

"It's strange, you know? I know death is something natural, but knowing that I won't see him again, that his presence has gone forever… and that's what is killing me. Especially because, you know… assuming there is something after this life, I will miss it" William made a disapproval sound as he adjusted his glasses "besides the ones suffering are those who remain here in this world. The people who leave us don't feel anymore and that desolation hurts like a knife in the soul… if feels like… emptiness…" her voice broke when she was saying the last part and she couldn't stop the tears from falling down, although she didn't make a sound.

"Here" the reaper gave her his handkerchief in a chivalrous way. He wanted to do something else, but he didn't know exactly what. The words seemed to unnecessary in that moment, that's why he remained silent, looking at the twilight and enjoying the exceptional calm of the place.

"William…" after a few minutes, Susanna could speak "can I ask you a favor?"

"Of course" he immediately answered, stepping forward.

"Could you… give me a hug?" her voice was fragile and William noticed it quickly. He was astonished after hearing the girl's petition and his body became tense.

She immediately regretted her words. How could the Supervisor of the Reaper Dispatch Society agree to hug her? And the fact that William didn't move or said a word confirmed her fears. Nevertheless, she would only ask such thing from him; no one else. Her pride wouldn't allow her to do that with Sebastian, who would surely take advantage of the situation, as he had done before, so the reaper seemed to be the most adequate person at the moment. Besides, she felt an enormous desire to be with him.

What a stupid idea! Susanna though as she stepped back to get away from that place, but right before she could move even more, William's arms surrounded her, getting her closer to him.

She was shocked for a few seconds. She gave up her hope of that gentleman embracing her, and suddenly she felt him so close that his warmth overwhelmed her. A hug was just what she needed; the closeness and comfort of someone after that loss. Many months had passed since she felt someone embracing her like that; with such intimacy and genuine care, so without giving it a second thought, she held him too and started to cry while William slowly caressed her hair, feeling his body relaxing with the girl's contact.

None of them knew how long the embrace lasted and the sun was the only indicative of the passing minutes. She wasn't crying anymore, feeling comforted and protected in William's arms as she listened to his heart racing inside his chest. She was a little embarrassed and her eyes red because of the crying; an image that awoke a feeling of compassion in him and then he softly kissed her hair, not really knowing the reason behind his acts.

Susanna was even more surprised, but before she could say something, the sound of a man clearing his throat discreetly, but with all the intentions of interrupting the moment.

"Milady…It's getting late and I thought you might need your jacket" Sebastian had a long-faced expression, contrasting with his kind voice.

"Thank you. Maybe is time to go home" Susanna separated from the man in black suit and walked towards the butler, looking at the reaper again before taking her jacket "thank you, William. See you son" she smiled.

"I'll see you later" he nodded as a farewell, looking quite solemn and when he looked at Sebastian, he found a threatening and furious look on the demon's eyes, which caused the reaper even more satisfaction that he already felt.

A little later, Sebastian followed Susanna and walked towards the car, leaving the cemetery behind, along with the gravestones that told thousands of stories about the people buried there. The reaper looked around him and sighed, then he returned to his dimension.

 _ **Author's notes:**_

 _ **Hi there! This is the second part of William's route (remember that the story was divided in two, although it's basically the same plot and the only difference is on the romantic development).**_

 _ **As you can see, the fanfic has an illustrated cover now. I'm so excited about it! It took me several months to find someone to make the digital draw for me and I was about to give up when I found the amazing Luis Antonio Zamora. He's a great guy, with lots of creativity and patience, but most of all this is a big shout out for him. I'll leave the link for his works on deviantart on my profile page, so go ahead and check it out ;)**_

 _ **I hope you liked this chapter and, like always, thanks for reading and if you have any comment, don't hesitate on letting me know.**_

 _ **Take care!**_


	29. His true self (Sebastian)

**Chapter 26.**

 **His true self. (Sebastian)**

The next day, Sebastian made a plan that would help Susanna get distracted. That was just what she needed and he thought it would be a good idea to take her to the Victoria and Albert Museum. What better way to be a tourist guide? The demon has lied during that time and knew better than anyone how Queen Victoria really was, not to mention the many anecdotes he had, which she would definitely enjoy.

At first, Susanna was reluctant of going out but a few tricks from the demon encouraged her to agree. Her mood was better now, and it made her a little more susceptible to the disappointment and sadness expressions the butler showed her to practice some inverse psychology, mixed with the physical attraction he knew she felt towards him. Whether she admitted it or not, she grew fond of him and got used to his behavior, and Sebastian knew what buttons to push in order to persuade her in vase of need, and this was one of those moments.

On the other hand, she still remembered the "date" they had in Stockholm and although this time it wouldn't be the same, she enjoyed Sebastian's company even more with every passing day. She had been feeling guilty for a while and there was remorse inside her because she was interested in him in a way that was very different from what the contract marked, but only for one day she would forget about those feelings and go with the flow, without thinking of the consequences. After what she had gone through, that would be the best way to take a break.

Sebastian made sure there were only the two of them and in order to accomplish that, he gave the employees the day off, so he would be the driver, the butler and even the chef if she wanted him to; he would have her only for him.

The London atmosphere never failed to surprise Susanna. It was very different from home and during the time she had lived in England, there were very few occasions when she could visit the city for pleasure and not for business, despite the nature of them, so she was happy to let her butler be her tourist guide for a day.

When they entered the museum, she admired the high ceilings and the beautiful Victorian architecture that invited her to imagine other times as her heart beat fast. She took a deep breath and walked deeper into the building, followed by the demon, who watched her closely with a grin on his face. The place seemed to have a lot of echo and voices could be heard everywhere, but it wasn't as crowded as they would have expected.

As they walked, she couldn't decide what was more fascinating: the beautiful pieces of the daily life in the Victorian era, along with the amazing pictures in the walls or the changes on Sebastian's expression as he enthusiastically explained what the objects inside the showcases were. He seemed to have a story for each of them and he was sure a few of those objects belonged to his former master, which made him laugh in irony.

She enjoyed his velvet voice speaking, full of knowledge and his peculiar accent. Besides, the way his hair was combed behind his ear and the ornamental glasses made him look like a history scholar, not to mention how handsome he looked.

Of course, Sebastian notices the girl's glances, which from time to time were a little more than indiscreet; all part of a scheme to make her fall for him. He wouldn't do anything about it that day, hoping to gain her trust so he only smiled at her, flirting with her from time to time and holding her gaze in a seductive way; they were in some kind of battle to see who would give in first: she, trying not to blush a lot and him feeding her thoughts mischievous.

By the end of the day, Susanna's mood was a lot better and everyone back in the house noticed it when she went out of the car, laughing with Sebastian while he told her about the time he had to infiltrate a circus to get information about certain dangerous individual. Of course he didn't mention the part where William appeared with that ridiculous yellow suit; he didn't want her to think about the reaper at all.

The next day, the butler had an excellent idea that, aside of being creative, would help Susanna to get distracted and have a good time as well.

After breakfast, he entered her studio wearing a big smile and stared at her for a moment, enjoying the image of the girl sitting in the chair as she listened music with her eyes closed.

"Milady, I've made some special arrangements for today, but you must come with me to the garden"

"What is it?" the butler's words intrigued her.

"it's a surprise, but I'm sure you'll like it. Come with me"

And so she did, and they went directly to the garden, where a table was set with a plastic tablecloth and two small piles of clay and in front of it a marble bust of a Greek king.

"I thought some art would cheer you up and, for me, sculpture is, the best way to do it… it's tangible and of good taste. What do you say?"

"I..." she was impressed and the butler's gentle look almost left her speechless "…think it's a good idea"

And after smiling for him she sat in one of the chairs and waited for Sebastian to start with the class. He sat next to her but gave her indications about how to mold the clay.

Suddenly he stood up right behind her to give her some other indications, surrounding her with his arms and she automatically laughed… a laugh that quickly became louder.

"Is something wrong?" he arched his brow and looked at her with reproach. He was sure he'd get another reaction from his approach.

"No, nothing… it's just that…" she laughed again and she couldn't keep talking, so the butler had to wait until she was herself again so she could explain. He really had no idea about what was going on "Sebastian, please… I really hope you're not planning on doing something like in _ghost_ "

"I have no idea what you're talking about…" he said with some annoyance, but deep inside he enjoyed her laughter.

"It's movie that…" she laughed again "oh, my God, you really have no idea!… it's alright, just forget it. I don't intend to torture you with cheesy movies but… please, remain in your seat"

She waited for the demon to go back to his chair and them he continued with the explanation, a little frustrated because of the failure on his approach and his evident ignorance con popular culture topics. His "studies" and observations about human nature almost never included Hollywood movies.

Once they were focused again, the continued with the activity. It was a relatively simple sculpture, except for the face, which seemed to refuse to cooperate with Susanna's hands. The clay was fresh under her touch, the contrast with the warm summer weather felt nice. Her expression showed how concentrated she was as she tried to mold the sculpture's chin.

Meanwhile, Sebastian tried to show her how it was done, and as it was expected, his sculpture was identic to the original one and he didn't seem to be putting the slightest effort on it, but it didn't frustrated the girl. She knew he loved to show off and she just smiled a little.

Minutes later she was still having problems, but this time while shaping the eyes; they looked odd every time she tried and when the butler saw it he leaned a little towards her and started to explain with soft voice.

"Sculptures are like people; very different from one another and not even the twins are completely identical. Also, human faces aren't symmetrical and it looks like you're trying to mold the eyes the same, as if they were a copy from each other but that's not the shape they have" he pointed at the original bust "if you look closely, you'll notice the right eye is a little leaned to the left and it's smaller than the other. Those little imperfections are what makes it attractive and interesting. Besides, the contrast with the nose and the wide forehead makes it show even more.

While he explained, his human eyes seemed to shine as if he was actually feeling something… perhaps passion or something similar that was born from the art appreciation and share it with someone. The way he gesticulated and explained everything didn't only made him look more attractive and handsome; it also showed that, despite being a demon, there was something else inside. Something he wouldn't show. At least not to just anyone, and that far from being the purest evil or perversion, was tangible kindness; honest.

He was sharing his knowledge with Susanna and with a lot of patience, not trying to feed his ego and with the sincere intention of helping her to do it the right way. And after seeing such image, she realized it was a new facet in him. Something she'd never seen before and didn't think it existed. And it was clear for her that the demon wasn't even close to those religious or historic paradigms she was taught to fear. Sometimes he did, and she knew he could be horrifying, perverse, cruel and even relentless, but that wasn't all. Not with her.

He looked at her in a special way, where she could feel comfortable, making her hear beat faster, excited and expectant… and at least for that day, she would allow herself to see him just as he was… not like she thought he was; she'd see him as someone she could deeply care about… if she didn't already.

"Another trick you could use, is to get a toothpick to delineate the shape and take off the excess of clay. Like this… you see? This was y much easier and… excuse me, but are you listening to me?" he asked after noticing she was staring at him, with her eyes in his face and the mind too far away.

"Yes…" she looked away and shook her head, as if she was trying to come back to the present "it's just that… I realized something"

"What did you realize?" he asked with curiosity.

"That…" she thought for an instant "this sculpture thing isn't as thought as it seems" she smiled and went back to her work.

When they finished with the sculptures, Sebastian brought a bucket with water so they could clean their hands and she immediately removed the clay remains in her fingers, and started to speak with sincerity.

"I haven't been myself for the last couple days. I'm sure you noticed it, right?" she asked as an impulse; the answer was already in her mind.

"Not even the smallest detail in you is unnoticed by me" Sebastian's hands were already clean and he was about to put on his White gloves.

"I can only imagine. But…" she hesitated before speaking. She didn't want the words she was about to say to sound as if she was insecure "did you ever thought about cancelling the contract?... did my soul change'"-

"I've never thought about such thing" the demon hurried to say, more serious than ever. His eyes were penetrating as they pierced Susanna's "yes, your soul changed a little, although it was normal, considering the circumstances. But as I said before… your soul: pure, innocent, ruthless or as the purest evil; I find your soul exquisite in every form, because it's yours…" his glance was intense, making her feel chills down her spine, but she wasn't scared. It was something different that took her breath away for a second and she didn't disliked it at all. She remembered that time when she was about to murder Ivan Reznik, how she felt and the distrust she felt towards Sebastian, but his answer remained the same. He'd just said the same words. She was speechless back then, but this time she felt completely different, in a good way "and if you asked me, I would say that now is even more attractive"

She smiled and continued washing her hands, thinking about what he'd just said and his attitude from a moment before. She knew than that nothing in this life was static; everything changes for different reasons and along with those changes, there are surprises. She also wondered if it was all part of a given destiny, or if it was all consequence of past choices… whatever it was, she was willing to accept it, at least for that moment.

A few hours later, while Sebastian was preparing tea in the studio, Susanna immediately changed her expression as if she had just realized something and quickly asked.

"Wait… what you said is true?... you notice every change?" he nodded "even if I cut my nails?" he nodded again "my mood?... if I'm sleepy?"

"Any change in your attitude or body language, as well as physical changes and even… hormonal…" this time his eyes looked mischievous and challenging,

"Ok, it's time to finish with this conversation…" she commanded.

A day later, Susanna felt strong enough to continue with the investigations. She couldn't postpone it more and despite the fear inside her, she decided it was time to put an end to all that.

Numerology and energy fields were something completely alien for her, but according to Crawford, it was a fundamental part of the Final Linkage. There were many thing to be considered before bringing the fallen angel, including dates, constellations, number, ingredients… and to make things worse, the requirements for the final ritual were even more, or at least she supposed so.

She remembered that in one of her visits to the basement, she found a couple books about it, so she went looking for them. After having breakfast, she went to the basement along with Sebastian, who seemed to be smiling more than usual and it crossed Susanna's mind that it couldn't me anything good.

"What's going on?" she asked as she left her room and washing her teeth. Sebastian was leaning next to the door.

"Oh, nothing Milady. It's just that you're back to you old self, or perhaps an improved version. More interesting" he got closer to her, walking as she looked at him from head to toe "I would even dare to say… fascinating, for a demon like me" he whispered on her ear and his eyes were saying the same, but in a suggestive way.

"I'm glad you didn't lose interest" Susanna dared to day. Partly because she was curious and also because she liked the compliment; it's not every day that someone received flattering words from a handsome man…or a tempting demon.

"Not at all!" he didn't move and his eyes were still smiling while they ran thought her face without the slightest intention of being discreet "would you like to convince yourself?"

"We have work to do" she got away from him, hurrying to go down the stairs and reminding herself the impractical that situation could be, but with a grin in her lips.

Sebastian followed to the basement, where the book were kept and held a lantern so she could read the titles. Some of them were in Latin, other in English and there were others in French and Spanish. Aside of being cruel and ruthless, the inquisition left an information legacy which could be useful for the ones who know how to use it… a double edge weapon. But Susanna didn't repair too much on that and focused on her search, helped by her butler's translations who, for some reason seemed to cause her goosebumps with his gaze.

After taking seven volumes about demonology, two of energy rituals and her grandfather's journal they headed to the studio. The girl's eyes reflected hos determined she was to find out the date when Demian would perform the ritual. She didn't want to waste any more time and the sooner, the more opportunities to stop it. Nevertheless, the butler's plans seemed to be quite different. His attitude was unusual and for the past few hours he made her feel observed, nervous and right in the edge of her elf control.

"According to Crawford they need a lot of people… which means many souls to perform the ritual. But that's only the first step. If only we knew how to perform the ritual… are you sure there's nothing written on the journals about…?" she didn't finish the sentence because as soon as she looked at the butler, she noticed he was staring at her and his eyes told a thousand things that made her blush, which made him enjoy it even more.

"Yes?" he pretended to be innocent as he leaned back in the couch where he was sitting.

"There's nothing more about…" she got distracted again "about… whatever" she finished the phrase and glared at him "goddamn! Something that could be useful. Any kind of Kabbalistic date?"

"No, I'm afraid the Kabbalah has little to do with all of this, Milady… or at least not in the way you could think about it"

"You're not helping, you know?" she stood up from the couch and walked towards her desk, taking off the jacket she was wearing and leaving it in the chair. She suddenly felt hot. She was wearing a tanktop, which made her feel fresh in no time. Besides, it was summer and the weather was very nice.

Then she took one of the numerology books and started to read, expecting to understand something about how it worked and if the same principles applied to different cultures. It was, indeed, a dense subject and a very boring one, not to mention how confusing it seemed to someone who was pretty much ignorant about math and occultism; just like Susanna, who only knew the basics. The more she kept reading and walking around the studio, the more doubts she had, and occasionally she asked the demon about it but something told her he was doing his best to stop her from getting anywhere, giving her vague or confusing answers.

After a Deep sigh, Susann threw away the book and took her grandfather's journal to read it again. She hoped to find something new or perhaps a riddle with a clue. She was so focused, she didn't notice that Sebastian stood up and got closer to her.

"At least we're sure the ritual will take place in the United Kingdom" she used a conformism tone, looking at the bright side of the situation, but suddenly she felt Sebastian's voice vibrating next to her ear, deep and mesmerizing.

"And yet, it's a vast territory. It could be in Scotland Highlands. Somewhere pointing to the north" he put his left palm on the girl's shoulder as he firmly held her waist with the other hand. Sebastian had taken off his gloves at some point "if it was in England, there are numerous places to channel energies. Hyde Park… Stonehenge… or perhaps Pluckle…" as he spoke, he softly touched Susanna's arms with his fingertips, tracing a line in her skin from her shoulder to the elbow, still whispering in her ear and enjoying the chills he could see in her neck, thanks to his demon eyes "or perhaps somewhere in the South. It could be Wales, where many legends about the devil building a bridge near Ceredigion were born. An excellent place to summon beings from other dimensions…" his hand went down to her ribs and kept wandering, going down to her waist and then her leg "I've been there before" for an instant, Susanna was happy to be wearing trousers because if she had been wearing a skirt, it would have been impossible not to moan after he butler's touch, who caressed her thigh with slow movements and held her closer " the Scrabo tower hides many secrets as well and I wouldn't be surprised if someone performed an ancient ritual in there, especially for the geographic position of North Ireland"

His voice tone was soft and charming. It made her disconnect from reality, letting herself go with the pleasant sensation of Sebastian's touch, his breath causing chills in her nape and the wonderful smell of his cologne that surrounded her as she closed her eyes, focusing in the sensations. Soon, Sebastian traced the same path from her tight to her shoulder and moved her hair away so the contract mark in her neck could be seen. Then he got closer, his lips almost touching the mark and…

"Enough!" the gathered all her strength to get away from him and have some firmness in her voice "I'll be right back" and she walked towards the bathroom to wash her face and refresh a little, aside of putting some distance between her and Sebastian.

Susanna felt as if she was stepping in uncharted territory and the demon made it even more difficult with his attitude… she almost felt his eyes piercing her figure and his constant smiling and innuendo comments didn't let her concentrate properly. Everything would be easier is her mind wasn't tempting her constantly with the idea of playing along, but deep down she had a firm conviction about what this was all about: a game. And it wouldn't be opportune, neither adequate in the situation she was. For God's sake! She was facing the worst catastrophe in the whole history and a crush was the last thing she needed.

After thinking for a while, she decided to stop the butler with other methods, so she took the whistle William gave her and decided to send him a message. She didn't want to be alone with the butler, and she also had to consult a couple things with the reapers so they could solve the mystery; numerology wasn't her thing and Sebastian didn't cooperate at all.

When she went back to the studio, the demon was still there, checking one of the books but he didn't seem focused at all so she said with a firm tone.

"I just contacted the reapers so they could help us a little" immediately, the demon's eyes looked sad but she didn't buy it. She knew it was one of his tricks to make her feel guilty "don't look at me like that, you know very well that we need…" she didn't finish because Sebastian took her hand and softly kissed it.

"My Lady… I'm so sorry I wasn't able to help you… perhaps if you could give me a few more hours, I could decipher all that and… perhaps…" he slowly got closer to her with a seductive glance, holding her by the waist and for a second she was about to give up, until she saw the mocking smile in the demon's face and then she pushed him and complained.

"Leave me alone!" she wore a disgusting expression as she tried to calm her heartbeats "that's enough for today… I don't want to have you so near me, or that you whisper in my ear or touch me… and don't even think about putting your face so close to mine… as a matter of fact, try not to talk to me. That's an order!" she clarified before he could argue.

"As you wish…" he said with a smile, and resigning, although after a moment he said something with a quiet voice, but loud enough so she could hear "but I know you were enjoying it as much as I did…"

She didn't mind his words and sat in her desk, where she pretended to read more about numerology, although her mid was somewhere else entirely.

Almost thirty minutes later, William, Ronald and Grell appeared on the main door and Susanna received them with relief.

"I'm glad you're here. We have new information and… we need to decipher it"

"Let's get started!" said Ronald almost immediately and Grell passed really fast beside him, reaching out for the Butler.

"Sebas chan! I was so eager to see you!" he finished saying before running into a wall, because his target moved in the right time.

The girl looked at the scene with humor and then saw them walking up the stairs, Sebastian scolding Grell and Ronald saying something about how painful it looked, and right behind her, William observed her until she turned around to face him.

"How are you?" he asked with serene voice.

"I'm better, thanks… I think… among other things, Sebastian helped me a lot to get away from all that and..:" suddenly she noticed the disagree look on the reaper's face " it's time to move on, or the final linkage will be completes. I can't allow that"

"I agree with you… but first I would like to make sure you're really alright" he got closer to her and his face even closer as he looked at her with worry in his eyes, along with tenderness.

"Y… yes, I'm… fine" she felt a little shocked because of the reaper's closeness and felt a light impulse for getting away from him, but then a voice sounded right behind them…

 _ **Author's notes.**_

 _ **Hey guys!**_

 _ **I really had fun writing this chapter. At first it was very difficult to imagine Sebastian acting somehow… different, but I'm happy with the results. I bet it would be amazing to have him as a tourist guide. Also, I loved the scene when he's talking about different locations in the UK and how he touches Susanna as he did… I wanted it to be like a metaphor… did it work?**_

 _ **For this chapter, specifically for the scene where they are working with the sculptures and Susanna changes the way she looks at Sebastian, was supposed to have "Breath again" by Sara Bareilles as ost, so if you have the chance of listen to the song while reading that part (or the whole chapter!) would be cool.**_

 _ **I thought about This chapter was rather romantic… or at least something is starting between them, but the next one will be a little more dense, so please, look forward to it.**_

 _ **Grievousorvenom: Thank you so much! I was really, really happy when I read your comment. It's good to know what you think and…. I know, right? The routes are different, and the motivations change quite a lot. I think it would be nearly impossible to say no to someone as appealing and charming as Sebs. And I didn't want the main character to be immediately drooling for him, so it gave me a chance to develop and describe his character in different situations, and explore him in a deeper way. Something different happened with William, because his character gives me the opportunity to explode romance in a smoother way. I like them both, but after writing this, I think I'm in love with Will xD**_

 _ **Thanks for reading!**_


	30. Lovefool (William)

**Chapter 26.**

 **Lovefool. (William)**

The next day, early in the morning, Grell walked around the dispatch halls. As soon as he got to the lobby, he was given a message from the Supervisor, asking him to stop by his office as soon as possible, and so he did.

"You wanted to see me, Will?" the redhead knocked on the boss' door.

"Grell Sutcliff… come on in" he waited until Grell closed the door and sat in one of the chairs in front of his desk "I suppose you are aware of the death of Susanna's father.

"Will, dear… that kind of news are quickly spread in this business. Especially if they are related to our investigation" he proudly said.

"And that's is precisely what must not happen… how much do you know about it?" he looked at Grell with severity, making him regret his bragging words.

The information he had was thanks to Ronald, who heard it from one of his female friends, who knew about it unofficially… and they could get in trouble for it.

"Nothing, only what is inside the official reports!" he hurried to say but William's glare made him feel uneasy.

"Keep in mind that anything related to this investigation must be handled as discreetly as possible. The Final Linkage is a very serious matter that will affect us as well. We don't want to cause panic… the only ones who know about this are the higher ups, Ronald and you, so please, I don't want any kind of information leak, understood? Everything is confidential.

"…Yes…"

"And that is why I shall assign you a special task" he adjusted his glasses and lowered his gaze for an instant. He was thinking about how to tell Grell what he had to do, without his personal interests showing "Susanna is an important piece in all this scheme. She might be the only one who could stop the Final Linkage, but after her father's death I'm afraid she'd just forget about it for a while, which is not convenient at all"

"Will?" Grell seemed a little confused, but couldn't see behind his boss' intentions and before he could find out something else, William continued talking.

"I need a report about Susanna's emotional state, so I'll send you to the Serafer residence to take a look. If you see any anomaly or weird thing, on her behavior or that demon's, you shall contact me immediately, understood?"

"Of course!" he said with enthusiasm and immediately jumped from his seat "before I leave I should make sure my hair looks beautiful to see…" before finishing the phrase, he remembered he was still in William's office "eh… I mean… I have to look good in any situation and…"

"Honestly… I think I shouldn't remind you of how serious is this"

"I know. See you later!" and before leaving the office he blew a kiss to the Supervisor, who immediately felt an unpleasant chill and a few seconds later he leaned back on his chair, satisfied with his plan.

Indeed, part of his job required to keep the girl under certain surveillance, but he had to admit that he felt curiosity and worry about Susanna as well. On the other hand, he knew Grell wouldn't object or question his orders, especially if they meant being near Sebastian… unlike Ronald, who would have asked a couple uncomfortable questions and, to be honest, he wasn't ready nor willing to answer.

Some hours later, Grell was back with the report. As soon as he was back in the reaper's realm he hurried to reach William's office, who had spent the whole morning gathering the information they had gathered so far to inform the Higher ups.

William was very focused on his chores and it took him a few moments before he answered to the knock on his door.

"Will, are you there?"

"Come on in…" he waited for the redhead to enter "what news do you have?" he left the pen hi was holding next to the pile of papers and looked at the other reaper expectant.

"I would like to bring good news, but Will, dear…. If you'd seen what I did…"

"Did something happen?" the Supervisor was worried.

"That girl is a complete mess! She didn't leave her room all day and when she did, it was only to go out to the terrace and cry with bitterness. I'm sure she didn't even notice I was there. Of course, I made my best effort to pass unnoticed" then his expression changed and looked offended "she wore her pajamas during the whole time I was there, her hair was a mess as well and if that wasn't enough, she was drinking what seemed to be rum and the way she did it I could have swear it was a cheap one, but I highly doubt… she looked like a rag doll. Her eyes were lost in the distance and the only thing that made her look alive were the tears falling from her cheeks. A terrible image!"

"It's normal to be depressed…" William interrupted him, trying to convince himself that the situation wasn't that bad.

"That's is more than being depressed, dear. I only hope she doesn't do anything stupid" William became alarmed but did his best to hide it and Grell seemed to be thinking about something else, anyways "on the other hand, Sebas-chan was as radiant and handsome as always. He's so patient and devoted to that girl… it almost looks like he is genuinely worried about her… I'm so envious!" suddenly, the Supervisor's threatening glare made the redhead stop talking.

"I don't trust that prat beast to take care of her… not if things are the way you described…"

"Half of the time she's liked that and she spends the other half sleeping. She doesn't leave her earphones. To be honest I think we're only wasting time with the fallen angel thing"

After Grell finished with his report, William was lost in his own thoughts and alarmed for the girl's emotional state. The last thing he wanted was her dealing with all her troubles in the wrong way, so he decided to pay her a visit and judge the situation by himself.

Losing her father must have been a very traumatic experience for Susanna and had left her without anyone to lean on, or run to if she felt sad, and the reaper wasn't willing to let Sebastian take that place; he could take advantage of it and ruin any possibility for stopping the Linkage. All because of his voracious appetite.

As soon as William arrived to the Serafer residence, he hurried up and looked for Susanna, who was conveniently getting off the car, carrying a bag, undoubtedly with more alcohol and junk food. She walked slowly towards the house, but noticed his presence right away and before she could say anything, he hurried to speak first.

"Susanna… are you alright?" William's voice was worried but at the same time it was serious and solemn.

"No…" her voice was deeper than usual because of too much drinking and crying.

"If you'd like to talk, I…" she interrupted him.

"I want to be alone, thanks" as she opened the door to enter the house.

"I understand, but remember that you can call me. No matter the hour" there was a small pause and looked at the studio's window on the second floor, where Sebastian was looking at them with mistrust "I don't trust that demon's intentions and he could take advantage of the situation…."

"And what about you?" the girl's attitude suddenly changed and she gave him an annoyed look "can I trust your intentions?... actually, what are your intentions, William? What are you playing at?" her eyes were cold and stared at the reaper, who was very surprised. He wasn't expecting that reaction from her and his face showed it. He even took a small step backwards.

"Susanna I…" he said at last, but although he managed to pronounce those words, he was really shocked. There was silence for an instant an then her expression changed.

"Forgive me…" she sighed and looked at the floor. She wasn't sure why she asked that… or, on second thought, she did very well. She'd been feeling something for William for a while and he appeared to do the same, but nothing had ever happened between them, which was one of the girl's frustrations. Nevertheless, there was no reason to bring up the subject; it wasn't the time to attack him with her own internal demon, but perhaps her emotional instability made her do it "I didn't mean to say that, I… it's not the best moment " she finally looked at him in the eyes.

"It's fine" his attitude changed and his first instinct was to put on that emotional barrier he'd used for many, many years. He was stepping in a path he wasn't sure he wanted to walk. In fact, he was afraid to. Besides, he realized Susanna's eyes were red and started to look wet. She was about to cry, and he couldn't do anything about it; he'd just been rejected, so he only compulsively adjusted his glasses and aid goodbye "I'll see you later"

Before tears fell down her cheek, she turned around and entered the house, followed by the reaper's glance, who looked at her for another moment and before leaving, ignoring the fact that, on the other side of the door she was crying in the floor. Her legs couldn't held her anymore and she let herself fall down as her tears fell on the white marble floor, punching it with al her strength. Enough to leave a bruise in her fist.

That afternoon, the reaper finished his work in record time. He managed to block those invasive thoughts and focused on the report he had to write. It wasn't an easy task, but facing the many thoughts on his head, and the feelings they carried was even harder, so he focused all his energy on fulfilling his duty.

Once he was done, he went back to his apartment. As soon as he opened the door, he loosened his tie and hung his jacket on the clothes rack. He headed to the living room and took out a bottle with amber liquid, which poured into a glass. Then, with all the heaviness he had felt for hours, he left himself fall in the couch and drank a sip, feeling the liquid slightly burning his throat. It would only take him a few minutes to feel more relaxed. Perhaps less if he drank faster, but he knew it would be difficult to fall asleep that night, so he decided to take it easy and finally took off his necktie.

He let out a sigh as he looked through the window. Everything was dark and a lamppost illuminated the street right beside his apartment. The night sky was moonless. Cold and distant at first glance, just as the reaper realm must be.

He thought about Susanna again and felt the frustration coming back to his chest. He didn't have means to call her, but must likely he'd give in to the temptation of contacting her with the help of a pigeon. He would do it later; once the alcohol had made effect. But what would he say?

The question she asked him many hours before rumbled on his head as if he'd just heard it. What were his intentions? It wasn't clear for him, but of course they would be much better than that demon's.

Nevertheless, as soon as he thought that last thing, he felt guilty for presuming of such moral judgment, when he, himself wasn't sure what he was supposed to do or the reason behind his actions. Or maybe he already knew, but he wouldn't accept it so easily and that was what made it even more difficult. He drank again until the liquid inside his glass was gone and then he got himself another one to relax more. He needed it.

He thought about Susanna and how much he liked to watch her, her face and the different expressions that decorated her. She wasn't the first woman he felt attracted to, but this time he was willing to accept it. He'd felt that way for a long time, which meant it wasn't only physical attraction; there was something else.

Suddenly, William frowned when he remembered the constant presence of that demon. Always next to the girl, unless she commanded him not to in that game of pretending to follow a mortal's orders. All that so, in the end he could keep her soul. Such image caused him disgust and made him angry. And then the idea of helping her appeared on his mind, but it would be difficult. Sebastian wasn't a common demon and he would do anything to get his prize.

But as much as he'd like to help her, he couldn't do it. His hands were tied and he regretted his job limited him that much, because he knew the demon would be an obstacle between him and Susanna. That was the moment he realized what he wanted, and it took three glasses of brandy along with all his courage to accept it.

Slowly, he leaned his head back in the couch and looked through the window. He feared for the girl's life and cursed himself for not having enough time to be with her; to woo her… despair invaded him. He was thinking too much ahead and knew that Susanna would be mad if he did something against Sebastian; she appreciated him, after all. He had managed to win her trust and now she cared about him as well.

In any case, it would be very difficult for him to see her die or witness how that demon feed on her soul.

Susanna's words came back to his mind. That situation wasn't fair for her either and for a second, William felt selfish. He was quite aware of the messages his actions could send, and being the gentleman he was, he had to accept the consequences.

The alcohol started to make effect and the feeling of warmness inside his body invaded him. It had been a while since the last time he felt that… decades… he felt alive, as if he wasn't immerse in the lethargy of the path to his own redemption.

He felt lonely as well. He always did, but he rarely felt the need to fix it because he accepted it as part of his penitence. It was some kind of self-punishment, as if being a grim reaper wasn't enough to pay for his sin. God knew how much longer he would remain like that, and the thought frustrated him.

Someone practically immortal as him and a human…mortal whose life could end soon would only end up hurting him, and even though he considered for a moment getting away and just let her go, thinking it was probably the right thing to do, not to mention less harmful, he wanted to protect her, being around her and hear her voice talking to him. It was then that he took a piece of paper and started to write a note.

He went to the balcony after he finished, feeling the fresh air on his face but he didn't repair on it. He went directly to grab the white dove from inside its cage; his own messenger willing to deliver the note to his addressee. He entered the apartment again and carefully tied the paper to the bird's leg and then he went out to let her fly, watching as it went away in the night sky.

He continued looking at the horizon for a few more minutes and then went back to the couch where he was sitting a moment before. He was more relaxed, he might even be capable of sleeping after all.

Meanwhile, Susanna was sitting in her room's terrace, her eyes staring at the garden. She was tired of crying and dealing with self-pity, and knew she didn't have the luxury of feel like that for much longer, but at least she was able to cry for a few days. She would eventually get used to the loss and pain.

She was exhausted, but didn't feel like sleeping. She was afraid that nightmares attacked her while she tried to rest, so she relaxed on the chair, turning on her mp3 in an attempt to clear her mind.

Suddenly she noticed a white dove approaching and wondered if those birds flew at night, but when it landed next to her she knew it wasn't just any dove. It carried a message and she could imagine who the sender was.

She hesitated a little before taking the paper. She was rude to the reaper before, so she feared the message could be severe or cold, but the truth as she didn't regret speaking to him like that. There was some truth in there, although she could have said it differently.

" _Susanna: please forgive my imprecise behavior. It's not my intention to importune you in any way with my actions- However, I can't help but worry about you and your wellbeing. I care for you that much"_

The next day, around noon, Susanna decided to go to the city for a little walk. She wanted to get distracted and the best option was to go with Fer, who had to run some errands in the city.

"I'll make sure the car is ready and we can leave in 5 minutes, Milady" Sebastian hurried to say as soon as he heard the girl's idea, but she had other plans.

"I'm going with Fer and Mr. Haggard. There's no need for you to come with us" he looked at her in a persuasive way but she continued talking "if something happens, you'll be the first to know, so no need to worry" she pointed at the contract mark in her neck "I don't want you to come along. That is an order"

"Understood. As you wish" he bowed and followed the girl with the eyes. He couldn't disobey her order, but undoubtedly he would find another way to compensate the lost time.

Susanna didn't speak for a while, ad from time to time Fer or Mr. Haggard looked at her through the mirror to make sure she was fine. They didn't had much contact with the girl after the funeral and they were worried about her but a few minutes later, she started to talk.

"So, where are going?"

"We're heading to Upper Addison Gardens, have you ever been there?"

"No… actually I haven't had the chance to visit the city since I came here. What kind of place is it? Is it popular?"

"Actually, not so much, but there's a store of specialized electronics. Let's say that they handle unusual articles that are hard to find… and for some reason, Sebastian always insist on use… and break"

"Sebastian?... but what… oh… are we buying smuggling stuff?" she said with irony.

"What we're looking for are some cables, an automatic regulator, and a power supply to fix the electric fence which was damaged because of the storm a few days ago" he made a small pause "my MI6 contacts are useful after all" she laughed a little and a moment later they arrived to their destiny.

"Come with me, Miss. The last thing we want would be you getting lost" the young man said with kindness.

"Oh, Fer. Believe me, getting lost is the least of my worries. Besides Sebastian has..." she thought for a moment and then looked art Fer with a big grin "a sixth sense to find me"

"I'm sure he does, Miss. But still…" he warmly smiled and walked next to her "it's better to go around London streets with someone, if it's the first time you do it" they both continued walking. Mr. Haggard had to leave the car a few blocks away, for security reasons and lack of parking spots,

Fer was a pretty nice guy. Cheerful, although his eyes reflected his dark past and at the same time made him even more sensible to certain behaviors, which made him rather protective towards the girl. He knew how traumatizing would have been for her to lost what was left of her family in so little time and under suspicious circumstances.

"I know it's probably not of my business but… how are you feeling? We've been worried about you but…" suddenly he started to laugh as if he had remembered something "I'm glad you decided to go out today.

"Thank you, Fer" she answered with a sincere smile "life goes on and I must finish what I started. Now that I've lost so many things, I'm more determined to do it, or everything would be in vain"

"Remember that we're on your side. If you need anything, just say the word… even if it's just talking. We're at you disposition, and not only because we're you employees; we really sympathize with you and your family. Even before you came home, we anxiously waited for you and Sebastian kept us informed about you and your whereabouts. We were happy that the Serafer family had a survivor… and willing to keep the legacy"

"I really appreciate it, Fer. And I'm very sorry for all the inconveniences I've caused you"

Susanna spoke in a diplomatic way, but she was moved with his words. She wasn't sure of how much did Fer, Abby and Mr. Haggard knew about the whole situation, but she was grateful for their discretion and loyalty; they would have to be really naïve to not notice she had killed at least two people in the last few months.

When they finally arrived to the store, Susanna was quite surprised. It wasn't like she had imagined it at all; she thought it would be somewhere in a dark alley and plenty of security guards, but when they entered a scale models supply store, she was very surprised.

She took a quick look at the place when she entered and Fer approached the counter to ask for the owner, who immediately sent the store employee to run some errands while he looked for Fer's supply list.

"It's not what you expected, right?" Fer asked behind her.

"No… I imagined it would be very different" she kept looking around and on the other side of the window she could see a church right in front of the store. She hadn't noticed it was there, because it was the back yard of the temple what she could see, and then she felt a huge desire to go there "Fer, I think that… I'd like to go there for a moment"

"Yes, sure. Take your time" he said with a little worry but he calmed down when he saw where she was going.

She had been in a church a few days before, nevertheless the serenity and peace sensation of being there was very different from last time. It might have been for the reason that lead her there, or for everything she thought since then.

It was Parish Church of Saint John the Evangelist, a beautiful temple with Goth style and the solemnity it imposed. The smell of incense covered her as soon as she entered and the high columns seemed to lead the way to the altar, making the central aisle seem very long.

She sat in one of the benches and suddenly she felt an enormous need for praying. She knew it was already too late for that, nevertheless her soul needed, at least to find some peace. She needed to ask forgiveness for her father's death, for all the people used as human sacrifice and the AstraZeneca's explosion victims; all of them somehow caused by her, her acts and lack of foresight.

It was absurd to ask for forgiveness at that point but her own mortality demanded her to, and guilt would be her penitence for the rest of her days; until the demon took her soul…

She sighed with nostalgia and looked at the stained glass on the side of the church. She wondered about the truth behind the final linkage thing. Everything seemed to be out of a fantasy novel, but she was sure it wasn't and, more than ever, felt the strength needed to face what came. To face their enemies and don't allow a being like the fallen angel get his way. She lost track of time when she thought about it and then she felt someone sitting next to her.

When she turned to see who it was, she found William's calm face looking at her. His expression reflected serenity but at the same time a little bit of worry.

"I see that you are calmer now"

"I do" a tiny smile appeared on her lips. She was happy to see him, although she felt a little ashamed because of her behavior the day before and she did her best to act casually "right now I feel…. peaceful"

"It's good to hear that" the reaper relaxed and looked at the stained glass Susanna was seeing a moment before. They both remained silent for a while, until the girl said.

"To be honest…." her innocent eyes suddenly became mischievous "I can't decide whether I should be surprised because you weren't hit by a thunder when you entered the church, or if I should disappointed because you don't have a halo in your head…."

"Honestly… is that what you really think?" he sighed in annoyance and adjusted his glasses "I believe I shall remind you that we, grim reapers aren't exactly…" suddenly Susanna started to laugh "what's so funny? I'm trying to explain that…" she laughed louder and before he could say anything else, an old lady approached them and asked them to keep silence.

"I'm sorry" she shrugged and covered her mouth to laugh a little more.

"Perhaps I should continue with my explanation somewhere else. What do you say?" he stood up, waiting for Susanna to follow him.

When they left the temple, Susanna told Fer that she would take a walk with William and she would call him to let him know where and when to pick her up. The lad smiled and looked at the reaper as he walked away with her. Since the first time Fer saw him, he thought he was a very cold and serious man, but such image was immediately erased after seeing the attitude change when he was next to Susanna.

"I'd never been in this part of London" she casually said as they walked "actually, I didn't even head of this place before"

"It's not exactly touristic, but is well known by the city inhabitants. Almost impossible to miss" and then he noticed she was looking at him with reproach, so he didn't continue with the comment. Instead, he softened his voice and said "it has a serene atmosphere you might enjoy"

And then, he change the rhythm of his steps and changed sides with the girl, so he was on the outside part of the sidewalk and she was next to the wall. When she noticed it, Susanna felt a smile appearing in her face and looked at him with curiosity although he didn't seem to notice it, just like his actions didn't seem to be premeditated or planned. For him, it had been the most normal thing in the world; for her, a gesture of casual chivalrous that fascinated her and made her think about all the things William did on daily basis and that seem to be from another time, but at the same time, made him more interesting and attractive than he already was.

She kept looking at him discreetly for a few minutes and sincerely smiled. When she noticed it, she blushed a little, thankful that the reaper was focused on the street and not her. It would have been embarrassing.

A few meters ahead, William put his hand softly on Susanna's back, barely touching her but indicating her they would enter a small establishment she hadn't seen until that moment.

"It's here" the he opened the door for her.

"Thanks" when she entered the small bar, she noticed the place was bigger than it seemed, and the first thing that picked her attention was the sound of the piano, next to a melancholic female voice singing classic jazz.

The place wasn't so crowded. There were barely fifteen people in the whole place, and the decoration, despite being simple, was warm and cozy, in red tones and wooden details and the pictures on the wall, posters and photographs that showed singers and musicians from the 20's and 30's took them to another time.

Once they sat down, Susanna felt her heart skip a beat when she though how similar this was to a date; the small ornaments on the table had candles and slightly lighted their surroundings, giving a sensation of intimacy that seemed very adequate for the atmosphere and although she loved the place, the temptation of thinking about the reaper as something more than a friend was constantly in her mind.

"This place is awesome… do you come here often?" she asked as casual as she could.

"Actually…" he adjusted his glasses "this is the first time, but I saw the place in some cinematic records and I thought you might like it"

"Are you serious?" she arched her brow and started to laugh.

"Yes, why?" he seemed a little confused.

"Nothing special…" then she looked down and touched her hair to make sure it looked good; a compulsive movement "it's a nice place. Besides, I enjoy jazz a lot. Thank you"

"You have nothing to thank me and…" a waiter approached them to hand them the menu and then went away "what would you like to drink? Or perhaps… eat?"

"I think… I'll go with a Martini"

"Very well" and then William called the waiter "a Martini for the Lady and… I would like a glass of Sanguiovese" there was silence for an instant and then he looked at her with a serious attitude "you honestly didn't think something like that would happen in the church, did you?"

"What?" she was confused for an instant, but immediately remembered her comment and laughed "no, not really. I would have expected something like that from Sebastian…" he made a sound of disapproval "but nothing happened either when he was inside a church, so…"

"Honestly… I really hope you don't have me in the same level as that hell tosser" his neck and shoulders became tense.

"Of course not! You are…" and he couldn't finish the phrase. Actually, she didn't know what to say or how to say it "…different…" and right after she said it, the waiter came back with their drinks, putting an end to that part of the conversation.

The girl who was singing in the small stage of the bar was still there, but the melody had changed. It was more melodic; the piano played along with her and for an instant, Susanna thought she knew the song, but it was a quick thought, because she got distracted with the surroundings. The atmosphere had changed and it became merrier and she relaxed after noticing it. She felt like home, in a casual date with a friend… a friend she was attracted to.

"I was wondering if… you received my message" William asked in a courteous way. It was obvious she had received it; the messenger was most reliable, but he tried to get an answer in a smooth way.

"Yes I did" she looked at him in the eyes "but to be honest, I didn't know what to say, I… shouldn't have said what I said yesterday. You were worried about me and I only made things harder. Forgive me"

"It's me the one who should apologized and I would like to know if you're still mad at me… or if my presence bothers you in any way" suddenly Susanna felt as if she was talking with a man from another century. He was too formal and courteous, but behind those green eyes he was truly anguished, which she though it was very sweet "if that is the case, you should know that it has never been my intention to bother you, although your wellbeing is of great…"

"Will, I'm not mad at you" she interrupted him "how could I, after all you've done for me?" she looked at him with sincerity, struggling with the desire of holding his hand "it's just that it all became too overwhelming and my feelings too intense. My father's death made me see things differently and I believe it took out the worst of me. I'm ashamed you had to see me like that"

"Don't say that. You are human, after all. It's something natural" he looked at her with tenderness and patience; knowing it was much more than that. Her essence itself was what made her be that way, and that fascinated him. He was intrigued and made him feel restless at the same time. She reminded him of what it felt like to be human "but I don't want you to hurt yourself"

"I know…" she smiled distracted herself with the toothpick that held the olive in her Martini "I feel better now and… with that said, cheers, for a new beginning" she smiled and toasted with the reaper. He immediately felt relieved after seeing her calm, and he was thankful to have the opportunity to spend time with her.

She looked at her martini as if it was the most interesting thing in the world; thoughtful, and William took the chance to observe her a little more. More than study her, he had an intense but sweet look and the color green of his eyes became lighter. The expression on his face said more than his words would. It revealed his thoughts and part of what he felt for her, but suddenly she became more alert, and looked at the singer.

"Is that Lovefool?" she smiled as she seemed surprised.

"Excuse me?" the sudden change in the girl left him disconcerted and he fixed his glasses with anxiety. He really didn't know what she meant.

"Yes, it is!... love me, love me, say that you love me…" William was about to say something, but truth to be told he was very confused and the words drowned in his throat. When she noticed it, she laughed "I'm talking about the song… it's called lovefool… and this is an excellent cover!"

"Oh…" he looked puzzled.

"You really live in another world, Will" she smiled and kept looking at the singer "but even you could enjoy good music"

"I do…" he paid attention to the song for a moment "the arrangement is quite… interesting" and before he could continue, the girl's cellphone rang.

"Excuse me…" she picked up "Yes? Sebastian… I'm fine, you don't have to worry about…" when he heard that name, William made a disgusted face and took a sip from his wine "really?... wow, that's amazing… now?..." it was her the one who made a disapproval expression this time "alright. Just give me half an hour and I'll see you at the labs" then she hung up the phone and looked at the reaper with angst.

"Is something wrong?" he had a slight idea of what was all about.

"Well, those investigations about lupus I've been financing just have important results" her attitude changed quickly "it's not like it's a bad thing! Not at all… it's just that I have to go now and speak with the person in charge of the research"

"I understand…" he took another sip from his glass and showed her a very little smile. The cure for that disease was the reason he allowed her to live in the first place, and it seemed ironic that she had to leave because of that "I hope everything goes well"

"I have a few minutes before Fer comes for me and… do you think we could have a meeting tomorrow to discuss the Final Linkage?"

"At 1 o'clock would be fine?" he adopted a serious attitude and she nodded with a little sadness in her eyes. She regretted don't being able to spend more time with William and felt as if she had lost a good chance to get closer to him, aside of killing the mood "So, I'll see you tomorrow and… do you think we could continue with this another time?" she shyly asked. She wasn't sure what his reaction would be.

"Of course" he answered right away and appeared to be in a better mood "whenever you want. You know how to contact me. In the meantime, I'll try to broaden my musical acquis" he joked, although his attitude didn't match his intentions at all, since he never lost composure.

"Yes, please" and then she looked at her cellphone; it was Fer, who was waiting for her in the bar's entrance "have to go now"

"Susanna…" he said before she stood up from her seat. His arm almost betrayed and was about to take the girl's hand, but he stopped before doing it "take care"

"You too, William" she smiled in the sweetest way she could and then left the bar.

The reaper remained in there for a couple more minutes, while he finished his glass of wine and thought about the moments he just spent with Susanna. He was anxious to have more of them.

 _ **Author's notes.**_

 _ **Hi there!**_

 _ **I really liked this chapters. Is one of my favorites because it's very interesting to explore more of William's thoughts and reactions, as well as the way he would handle things. He is such an interesting and intriguing character.**_

 _ **And by the way, for the followers of this fanfictions's ost, we have two main songs for this one, in case you want to read while you listen to some music: while William was on his apartment, thinking about what to do, my choice would be "Give me love" by Ed Sheeran. As for the music at the bar, the song was Lovefool by Postmodern jukebox, which is a cover from the Cardigans'. Actually it's a very cool channel in youtube. They have many covers with different styles like jazz, 20's and so on.**_

 _ **TfallingangelT: to be honest, William's part is way easier to write. It somehow feels a little more natural (and of course more romantic), and his character has a lot of potential for development. I enjoy imagining and describing his actions and the reasons behind them… and now I have a terrible crush on him… like head over the hills _ Thank you so much for your comments, I really appreciate them!**_

 _ **I hope you liked this chapter and read you in the next chapter, which will be very interesting, I promise!**_


	31. Getting closer (Sebastian)

**Chapter 27. Sebastian route.**

 **Getting closer.**

Susanna felt a little troubled when she noticed the reaper's closeness. It was the first time he was so close to her and she felt a small impulse to get away but before she could move, a voice sounded behind them.

"Excuse me, but… we are expecting you at the studio…" she nodded and hurried to walk away, leaving William and Sebastian behind. She wanted but some distance between them.

"Mr. Spears… on behalf of My lady, I appreciate your concern but I shall warn you, if you ever get so close to her again, I won't hesitate on hurting you very bad" the demon's voice was serious, almost serene but his face expression said something very different. It was threatening and determined.

"A reaction such as this was to be expected from a vile being like yourself" he fixed his glasses and walked towards the studio, avoiding further conflict. It wasn't the time nor the moment, and he didn't want to hurry on reaching any conclusions just yet.

Once they were in the studio, Susanna told them the details of the interrogatory, she omitted the violent parts, of course. She didn't tell them exactly how Aidan Crawford died. She didn't feel like remembering such dark episode, and she was sure they had already seen the cinematic record. She explained what he said about numerology being their best ally and the mention of a precise place, as well as all the things about energy and natural disasters, which had been some kind of rehearsal for the whole thing; the evil group was calculating the consequences of their acts.

Despite the explanation, everything seemed to be a pile of isolated concepts, or very hard to relate at least. The only indication of them being part of something bigger were the clues those men had left. Nevertheless, Grell's concerned look showed how serious the matter was and with a deep voice, which he only used on crucial situations, he spoke.

"That means they already have a date to summon the fallen angel and perform the Final Linkage ritual. Now we only have to discover the right dates… the trail of crumps leads us to numerology.

Everyone in the room looked at each other with concerned looks and immediately knew what to do. Each one took one of the numerology books that were on the table, along with paper and pencils to try to figure out the exact date and hours when the ritual would take place.

They spent almost two hours in the task until, in the middle of the silence that flooded the placer, Susanna got the impression that they weren't getting anywhere.

"Goddammit! Why does numerology have to be so freaking complicated?" she complained and threw away the book she was holding, although her despair expression quickly became annoyed after she heard Sebastian complaining and exaggeratedly sighing, pretending to be sad.

"Oh, my… It's such a shame Miss Susanna doesn't let me speak to her or even get close" Grell and Ronald looked at Sebastian with a puzzled expression, but William could perfectly read his intention and frowned "...because I could tell her what I know…" he crossed his arms ad he looked through the window.

"Oh, really? Really Sebastian?... for God's sake, you're such a child!" she complained.

"My apologies. I didn't mean to upset you, Miss" he smiled mischievously.

"Don't play the innocent with me… I don't know what kind of game you're playing at, but you know very well that…" she couldn't finish the phrase because William interrupted her.

"If you'd excuse me… I believe I just found something important" he looked at them with severity and after glaring at the butler, they both approached the reaper. Of course, Ronald knew immediately what was going on and he was very entertained with the whole scene. It's not every day that you get to see the Supervisor of the reaper Dispatch Society jealous of an arrogant demon.

"What did you find?" she was surprised.

"Well, you see, every number has a particular meaning in numerology and…

"Wow, that's is indeed a tremendous finding, Mister Spears" said the demon with sarcasm.

"Silence, you creeping vermin…" he made a pause and then continued "if it's about dates, we could divide the number in two pairs and a numeral of four, which hast to be 2015, because it is referring to the year, of course"

"And the other two will be the day and the month!" Grell exclaimed.

"Exactly. Each day has a different meaning and the energy in each one changes the same way. Many centuries ago weddings were celebrated on the fourth day of the month, because the number means fortune and happiness" William seemed very serious as he explained but he did it with patience and diligently, as if he was a professor in front of a class.

"So, that's where Friday the 13th's legends come from?" asked Ronald as his boss nodded.

"Let's see" Sebastian took a calendar from the desk and looked at the month of August "what does the number 2 mean?"

"More than hat is means, it represents strength and femininity" William answered as he read the book "and, if what they are looking for is strength and something that symbolizes a begin of a foundation of something, they could use any that equals the number 4. I believe we are looking for a date with such characteristics.

"Equals?" Susanna seemed very confused.

"Of course!" Grell hurried to say and took a paper from the table along with a pen and started to write a date "for example, if you take August 2nd of 2015, you would be summing up 2+8+2+1+5, which results in… 18, and then 1+8 and it's nine, which means…" he looked at William, expecting him to explain.

"The number nine is simplicity and neutrality" he said seriously after reading the book he was holding.

"There you go. Now, let's see…" continued Grell " the next dates that add together 4 are… august 6th, August 15th…"

"Wait, did you say August 6th?" Ronald seemed to be very interested and Grell nodded "well, there will be a soccer match on that day, between…."

"Chelsea and Manchester United" she hurried to say.

"Yes!" he looked at her and seemed to be excited "do you like football?"

"No, not really… but I happen to like this Chelsea player and I follow his news and matches… you know? Now that I think about it, it wouldn't be a bad idea to move some influences so I can meet him… why didn't I think of that before?" she smiled to herself and then her expression changed dramatically. She felt very embarrassed after noticing everyone's glares, except for Ronald, who was amused.

"A soccer game on that date can't be a coincidence. I f I had to guess, I would say they choose that day to perform the ritual" explained Ronald.

"And why do you think that?" Grell was exceptic.

"Aidan Crawford said something about energy, right?... well, numerology isn't the only thing that channels it. Actually, people can do it too and what better way to do it than a huge event with euphoria and excitement such as a soccer match. It would be like a boost"

"I believe you're right. And so, we have our date…" Sebastian smiled and wrote something on the calendar "and our location"

Then, the demon walked towards one of the bookcases where there were some rolled papers, among them a detailed map of London. He extended it on the floor and quickly found Stamford Bridge; Chelsea's FC home stadium. He used a red marker to highlight the place and then he drew some lined that connected it with nearby locations: Brompton Cemetery, London Oratory School, Hyde Park and Fulham Broadway station. All of them very specific to be random places…

The reapers and Susanna looked at him with expectation, not understanding what he was doing. William remained thoughtful for a moment and then approached to take a better look at the map. Then he started to explain.

"Of course! Those are places where we could access and stop the summoning. We might get to the stadium from there: Hyde Park would be an excellent choice, because is relatively nearby and crowded… enough to blend in" he traced the line with his fingers, calculating the time to get to the summoning location.

"And why don't we just enter to the stadium like regular fans?... that would be easier" Susanna asked as she raised an eyebrow.

"I'm afraid we don't have the details of Demian's plans and we are not completely sure if the ritual will take place there. I suggest we use another entrance and think about an escape route" answered William with a serious voice. His head was filled with thoughts and possibilities.

"It's obvious the ritual will be there!" Grell complained and sat in the sofa "the same happened with the past summons. Schneider used those 200 souls in the containers and made the ritual a few meters away. Soler and Crawford planned to do something similar, so apparently they have to be in short distance.

"That is indeed true" William stood up and adjusted his glasses "I suggest gathering more information about it, check our files and cinematic records to find other entrances to the stadium or at least recent renovations on the basement. Susanna, I would like to have another meeting to discuss our findings as soon as we have the information" he said formally and using a kind tone as he looked at her with something similar to doubt in his eyes, trying to tell her something more.

"Alright…" she smiled and before she could say anything else, Sebastian stood in front of her and spoke to the reaper with a grim look.

"And how long would it take you? An investigation such as that could take days! It might be faster to use other methods, or get someone more… useful"

"Hey! Ronald immediately raised his voice and looked at the demon with anger "who do you think you're talking to? We reapers are faster and more effective than you think, demon"

"Indeed we are... but what else did you expect?" the Supervisor's expression became rigid and cold, and it was exclusively against Sebastian "it is not something a ploker like you would know" he looked at him with a glance that could have easily pierced through the demon and then he changed his attitude "what do you think if we meet in four days to make the plan?"

"Sounds good to me, William" she got closer to him, ignoring Sebastian for an instant " is there anything we can do to help?"

"Not for now, thank you. I'll get in touch with you if something comes up" he smiled at her with the eyes and then looked at his colleges "let's go. We have work to do"

And then the reapers went outside the residence, accompanied by Susanna, who ordered Sebastian to stay in the studio while she said farewell. She was still upset because of his behavior, but more than being upset, she didn't want to be alone with the demon.

Two days later, Susanna was very tired after spending the morning taking care of AstraZeneca's financial statements, but at least she received good news. The researches she was funding about lupus were giving great results.

She smiled after putting back in the envelope a bunch of papers she received, where the results of the lupus investigation were explained: the scientist not only developed a medicine that could control part of the disease, they managed to induce remission on 75% of a control group with 150 people.

Those were excellent news. But she would have to keep financing the research, so she had spent a lot of time thinking about what to do so she could keep sponsoring the research even after everything was over; hen she wasn't in this world anymore. She didn't even dare to think she would die, because she wasn't sure about it. Her soul would be devoured by a demon and there was a possibility that she would end up in an eternal limbo…

She walked around her room while many things flew around her mind and after finding out what Demian anssens-Guillot's plans were, everything seemed a little easier to solve and eventually stopping the Final Linkage, although it was still a pretty difficult and dangerous situation.

With that in mind, the waiting was almost a torture and August the sixth seemed to be far away. The sooner it was over, the better; destroying that man who only wanted to cause damage. And suddenly, the girl smiled. Who was she to tag him as evil or immoral? In the end, she had sold her soul to get revenge and restore her ego. And yet, the Final Linkage was beyond any other consideration about good and evil; it was a matter for survival and not only for humans.

The girl was overwhelmed after everything she had done. She never thought she could kill anyone or make the cold decisions she had done lately. On the other hand, she was afraid… afraid of the path she had to follow and the fate she was facing. One thing was sure: she couldn't run. Susanna would have to finish what she started and despite being what she wished, the outcome was terrifying. An eternity in hell, facing those torments described on Dante's images or literature, and all that next to Sebastian… an idea that didn't disgust her at all, which conflicted her a lot.

How could it be possible that the idea of hell was counteracted with Sebastian's? was she mad? What kind of person would enjoy the company of a demon? And most of all, how could she be attracted to him?

She shook her head and punched the wall with her fist, feeling a great need to cry. Then she let herself fall down to the bed, as if she was giving up. She felt trapped and her head was spinning as she thought what to do about it, but a few minutes later the door opened and the attractive black haired butler approached, ready to lay down next to her; comfort her and seduce her, if possible. His advances were getting farther and farther, so this might be the day when Susanna would finally give in to his charms and he could claim her as his, with the possessiveness of a demon.

"Go away. I want to be alone" she walked away and left the room, trying to disappear in the hallway but he took her arm and cornered her against the wall right after she went out "let me go…" she said coldly, avoiding his glance. She didn't want to be tempted again; she didn't have the mood nor the strength to fight him.

"Why are you doing this, young mistress?" and right after he said that he took off the glove from his right hand using his mouth, without taking his eyes off her, looking at her with his most charming glance. She looked at the floor, fighting the blush his actions were causing but her heart was beating so fast "you little liar" he caressed her face, right in the jawline as he moved his head so she could see him in the eye. The contact with his fingers made her shiver, as if his fingers had electricity.

"This is just one of your tricks… demon" she tried to make her voice sound harsh; she wanted to convince him she detested him.

"My, my… how could you say that? Knowing that each of your wishes are like an order to me" he whispered the last part. She felt her legs getting weaker and weaker after the contact of hi slips with her ear "allow me to comfort you like that time… when I laid with you… come on, I know you long for it" his choice of words were almost perfect and she heavily gulped and clenched her jaw.

"Would you do anything I asked?" she looked at him directly in the eyes, with a suggestive glance and he nodded with a seductive smile "then…" she played with the knot of his tie, enjoying the triumphal expression on the demon's face as he leaned closer to her "right now, I want you to make some chocolate cookies. I want them on my studio as soon as possible, but I don't want you to bring them to me. Send someone else. I don't want to see you until tomorrow" she got away from Sebastian's round-up and walked along the hallway as she looked at him with arrogance "it's an order"

She kept walking, heading to the studio and meanwhile, the butler stood there, shocked after her reaction; his plan had failed and he couldn't take advantage of the situation. He knew it, Susanna wasn't an easy prey to his tricks and charms, but that only made him want her even more, and by that moment, he knew exactly what he wanted. He was sure he would get it, the challenge was in discovering under what circumstances. Without giving it much of a thought, he fixed his tie and walked to the opposite side of the hallway, regaining his composure and turning on the first floor's stairs.

"You should already know that it's rude to hear other people's conversations" said Sebastian with hostile voice and a serious, almost upset expression.

"I… don't… I didn't want to…" Abby was just passing by in the right moment when Sebastian cornered Susanna and listened to the whole talk from a nearby hall. Silent so they didn't notice she was there and unsure about what to do.

"You didn't see nor hear anything, understood?" the butler' voice was like a warning. Something unusual in him "and come to the kitchen in half an hour. Miss Susanna wants some cookies"

He continued walking and headed to the kitchen, planning the next movement of his schemes for Susanna; she wouldn't need him for the rest of the afternoon and he would have time to think about it, after all.

The next day, the morning was sunny and Susanna was in her studio taking care of some company business. Everything seemed to be working fine and the investments were leaving profits. The ambitious projects she started when she took the lead of the AstraZeneca were giving results… the only thing left to do was to decide what would be of it when she was gone of this world… It was a question she would have to answer eventually and a couple ideas came to her mind, but none of them were easy enough to be ready in a couple weeks.

She deeply sighed and then turned her chair, looking through the window that showed her the clear sky and part of the beautiful garden. She lost track of time, between her messy thoughts, memories, images and feelings that invited her to take a look inside, until a male voice interrupted her.

She wasn't surprised when she saw it was Sebastian, who just entered the studio, but she wondered how long he'd been watching her from the shadows.

"Is something worrying you, Milady?" he asked casually, as if nothing had happened the day before.

"Nothing, really…" neither her words nor expression showed any expression, anti t woke the demon's curiosity.

"I see. I was wondering… the new office building acquisition is almost done and in less than two weeks it will be ready. Are you planning on doing an inauguration?"

"Inauguration?" she asked, not really expecting an answer. Her mind started to work "a party doesn't sound bad…"

"So you have something in mind?"

"Not yet… aside of a boring speech, a tribute to the explosion victims, a toast… but I think we'll need something else" she looked at him as if she just had remembered something "you are more experienced in this things. What can we do?"

"I'm flattered, Milady" he smiled and approached to the desk. Then he stood next to her, looking through the window "it's a beautiful building, with the highest technology and of course the best security systems. In my humble opinion, you should make an event that matches such things. Something elegant and with distinguish guests.

"You're right" she thought for a moment "a boring speech, a tribute, toast, some food… I would like a small orchestra. Music to have a nice atmosphere and…" then her face became mischievous "what would happen if… let's say… we add some extra alcohol to the drinks?"

"Are you planning to make everyone drunk?" he asked with curiosity. He thought it would be, undoubtedly an interesting idea, but he didn't understand her motives.

"Just a little… social experiment" she laughed to herself "besides, I think everything will be over soon and a few pranks wouldn't be so bad. Don't you think?"

"Indeed" he kindly smiled, finally understanding what she meant "in that case, our guests will be rather… happy. It would certainly be something interesting to watch. Of course, I would suggest more security, to avoid any conflict"

"I'm going to leave the logistics to you. Make the necessary arrangements and… I know! How about some dance?" she smiled and seemed to be pretty excited "no one would have an excuse to not dance or at least having a good time. Despite being boring and posh investors, they couldn't say no to some fun"

"Excellent idea, Milady" this time he had a big grin on his face. He was indeed two steps ahead her, having something else on his mind "but I wonder if you had already considered the implications…" she looked at him confused "do you know how to dance?"

"Dance?... dance of course…" she remembered her birthday party and how she danced with William "not really… I think… I could do it if my partner guides me. Perhaps if I take a couple lessons… add it to the schedule"

"Gladly, Milady" he answered with some mischievous on his voice "would you like to start this afternoon?"

"Sure, the sooner the better. Take care of that… meanwhile, I'd like to start with the celebration plans"

"Of course" he bowed "I shall bring you some tea" and then he left the studio, leaving Susanna busy with the party's organization while an evil smile appeared on his face, relishing what was next. The party would be an excellent opportunity to make some advances, and to add some trill to his plans he would also set a deadline. It wouldn't be long now…

 _ **Author's notes:**_

 _ **Hi guys! Thanks for reading this latest chapter, which was a little dense with the numerology explanation, but we could also see how Sebastian tries to Seduce Susanna. Do you think something will happen between them on the next chapter?**_

 _ **KC: thank you so much! I try very hard to make this fic enjoyable and keep the tension on, so reading your comments made my really happy. Thanks for noticing it! I try to translate all of my writing so more people could read it and… well I practice my English as well. Also, is very interesting to see what reads like depending on the language they read it lol. And I agree, Sebastian would be really hard to resist. He's just too charming, although I understand Susanna's hesitation at some point.**_


	32. Guests and numbers (William)

**Chapter 27. William route.**

 **Guests and numbers.**

When they arrived to AstraZeneca labs, Sebastian was already there, waiting for Susanna in the main gate. It didn't take them long to get there, but apparently for butler the time was even less. The meeting with the project leader in charge of the lupus investigation took about an hour and the girl was very happy with the results. The scientist not only developed a medicine that could control part of the disease, they managed to induce remission on 75% of a control group with 150 people.

Susanna's face became brighter after hearing the new, especially because the doctors and scientists' predictions were encouraging and perhaps, after a few years of investigation, the disease cure could be obtained. They would only need a continuous investment and the girl would make sure they had it by creating a trust fund.

When the meeting was over they returned to the manor. Mr. Haggard drove the car and Fer was next to him on the co-pilot seat, while Sebastian was sitting in the back with Susanna. The way home was rather silent, until the butler made some conversation.

"I suppose you're happy, Milady"

"Very much" she smiled and looked through the window "at least now I have a clearer conscience"

"Besides, I think you had a good time with Mr. Spears, didn't you, Miss?" Fer added with an innocent tone, but he knew very well the butler wouldn't like it at all; he had observed Sebastian for several months and he noticed the _especial attentions_ he had with the girl, so he smiled with satisfaction when he saw the demon's attitude changing, as well as Mr. Haggard's glare.

"With Mr. Spears?" he raised an eyebrow and looked at her, waiting for an explanation.

"Yes… I was in Parish Church of Saint John the Evangelist and he just happened to be there…" she explained, trying to escape the butler's insistent glance and using a casual tone to avoid confrontation "and then we went to have a drink. Nothing special, really"

"Who would have thought…" obviously the image of William and Susanna together didn't like him all.

"Oh, and by the way… the reap…" she stopped before completing the word, remembering they weren't alone "Grell, Ronald and Will are meeting with us tomorrow to talk about business" now Sebastian seemed to be a little upset and his neck looked tense, so she hurried to explain "it's necessary that we have good communication with them, you know the two of us alone we can't solve _that_ situation"

"I'm so sorry to see you don't trust I my abilities to solve it… among other things..:" his demon eyes showed for an instant and his expression completely changed.

"You know very well that's not true, Sebastian" she bit her lip and turned to look at the window for the rest of the way home.

Susanna began to feel guilty after seeing Sebastian's face. She had never seen him like that and even though she knew he was an expert manipulator and that, undoubtedly this was one of his best performances, it caused her pain to see his face full of disappointment and mentally repeated herself that she couldn't fall for it. Nevertheless, deep inside, she was worried about him; she cared for him, despite how dangerous it might be.

She spent the rest of the day in her studio, arranging the trust fund for the medical investigation. She didn't want to think about anything else and lucky for her, Sebastian didn't show up for the rest of the day; he only let her know diner was ready and Abby took care of the rest. Apparently the demon took some distance but the truth was, he had other plans in mind.

The next day, Susanna woke up after hearing her butler's voice calling for her. It was a sweet voice next to her and she barely opened her eyes to find Sebastian's face close to hers, smiling and wearing a different aura.

"Good morning, Milady. It's time to wake up"

"What time is it?" she was sleepy.

"It's eight o'clock. Remember that we have a special meeting today at midday, and perhaps you'd like to use the morning to do something else… some shopping, perhaps?"

"Shopping? You're kidding, right?" she laughed.

"Or perhaps to take a little walk" he opened the curtains "it's a beautiful day and you should enjoy it. Besides I made your hometown's traditional breakfast" he smiled right after he saw Susanna's illusion expression "would you like to have breakfast in the garden?"

"Of course!" she stood up from the bed "I'll take a bath and then go to the garden"

"I'll be expecting you…" then he left the room, right after throwing a seductive glance, closing the door behind him.

It didn't take her long to take a bath. She hurried to dress up with casual clothes. When she went out the dresser she expected to see Sebastian next to the door, but instead she saw Abby making the bed.

"Good morning, Miss. Did you sleep well?"

"A.. Abby… I did, thanks. How are you?"

"I'm fine, thank you… Sebastian has been instructing us to prepare breakfast and snacks for today's guests" Susanna raised an eyebrow "And by the way, he is waiting for you in the garden. Enjoy your breakfast, Miss"

"I will, thanks"

She kindly smiled and walked down the stairs as she wondered what Sebastian was planning. When she was in the garden she saw a joyfully decorated table. There was a small vase with flowers next to a glass with juice, a cup of coffee and a big plate with something she hadn't seen in several months. Almost immediately, a huge smile appeared in her face and then she turned to see the butler, who was standing next to the table holding a serviette, just like a sommelier.

Instead of wearing the usual butler uniform he wore a black suit with shirt and tie in the same color but he didn't have a jacket, he only wore a vest, making him look less formal but elegant and handsome at the same time.

"Please, have a seat, Milady" he smiled.

"Thanks…" and she took a sip of the orange juice. It was delicious and the food smelled delicious. When she had the first bit, the nostalgia invaded her and with surprised eyes she looked at Sebastian "this is just like my mother's! how…?"

"What kind of butler would I be if I couldn't please you with a simple breakfast?" he leaned to her with the excuse to pour some coffee "you should know by now… my abilities are exceptional" he whispered with a flirty smile on his face and then his attitude became solemn "besides, before we came to London, I spoke with your father about your culinary tastes and he lend me your family's cookbook"

"Wow… that's a secret I liked to discover" she joked and continued eating.

All that put Susanna in a good mood and after breakfast she agreed to take a walk around town.

Once they were I London, Mr. Haggard parked the car in front of a leafy park and Sebastian accompanied Susanna to take a walk. The demon's presence was hard to ignore, but thanks to his casual outfit she felt more comfortable. She wasn't walking next to his formal butler; she was next to a handsome gentleman… one who constantly had his eyes on her.

"So… why so serious?" she laughed at the internal joke.

"No particular reason, Miss. I figured you wanted to have a quite morning, considering how noisy your guests could be" he answered kindly and his attitude didn't match the intentions behind his comment, which made her laugh even more.

"So that's it! I don't think they0're noisy at all. On the contrary, they're quite enjoyable…" she made a pause "just like your comments" she sincerely smiled.

"I'll keep that I mind" he slightly bowed and they continued walking as he told her the story of the park surrounding them, until she heard a bark.

"Did you hear that?" she looked around "it came from that pet shop. Come on!"

Sebastian followed her, although he wasn't too happy about it because the idea of her getting a dog caused him some disgust.

As soon as they entered, the particular smell dog food filled the girl's nostrils and she smiled. She always liked animals, but since she arrived to London she didn't have the chance to have a pet.

It was a store where some animals were outside their cages so people could be near them and Sebastian didn't walk more than two steps when a grey cat jumped to his arms.

"What a beauty!" she pointed and his attitude changed a lot. His eyes were bright with fascination after caressing the cat "what is a beautiful girl like you doing in a place like this? I'm sure many would love to have you at home" the cat meowed.

Susanna found the scene quite funny. She knew Sebastian had a strange fascination for cats, and she had witnessed his interaction with them only a few times. A terrible and sometimes perverse demon almost drooling for a cat. She wouldn't have imagine it even in her wildest dreams.

She surely wouldn't forget that scene and decided to spoil her butler a little, letting him play with the cat. She took a look around the shop and then got distracted with a friendly dog that approached her.

Several minutes later she went next to Sebastian, who was still playing with the grey cat and then headed to the door.

"Let's go, Sebastian. I don't want to be late for that meeting" he looked at her with melancholic eyes and then he spoke to the feline.

"I'm really sorry, but we must part ways…" his voice was formal, as if he wasn't speaking to an animal but he was interrupted by Susanna's laugh.

"Don't sweat it, she's coming with us" and then she showed him a pink collar she just bought.

"Are you serious, Milady?" and he looked at the girl as if she was the most radiant girl in the world.

"Of course… I couldn't bear seeing my butler all gloomy and frustrated because he had to say goodbye to a cat…" she smiled and left the store. She once heard Sebastian saying one of his contractors didn't allow him to have cats because he was allergic, so she wanted to make him happy with something he would honestly appreciate. She walked a few meters followed by the surprised look of the demon "with this one, how many cats do we have?... around six?" she laughed after pointing his secret wasn't too well kept.

Once they were back at the Serafer residence, Susanna took some time to look at herself in the mirror and make sure she looked fine. An act of vanity encouraged by the anticipation of knowing the reapers would be there in a moment… she would see Will soon. She was fixing her hair when suddenly a voice surprised her from behind.

"You look fine just as you are… actually, you look gorgeous" when she turned around she found Sebastian, who was looking at her with an expression she couldn't read at all. He seemed too tall behind her, but perhaps it was his attitude and the way his eyes looked at her. Watching for any reaction, almost hungry.

"Thanks" she managed to say and then she changed the subject "and where's our new guest?"

"Oh, Mafer decided to take a walk in the garden" he smiled without moving from his spot, as if his words said something completely different from his attitude and Susanna felt him getting closer.

"Mafer? What kind of name is that for a cat?"

"It seem adequate… although it wouldn't be impossible for me to explain its meaning"

"You don't say…" she was about to take a step back when the doorbell sounded "it must be them!" and then she managed to walk away and headed to the door to greet the guests, leaving Sebastian frowning.

As soon as Abby opened the door, she found three peculiar individuals she had seen before on several occasions. Two of them wore black suit and the other one a red coat. The youngest of them smiled and hurried to say hello.

"Hi there! … Abby, right?"

"That's right" she friendly smiled "please, come on in, Sirs. Lady Susanna is expecting you" she pointed.

"Oh, come on! Don't call me sir, I don't look that old, do…" and then the Supervisor's severe voice interrupted him.

"Ronald Knox, let me remind you that we are on official business"

"Ups! I'm sorry Sir…"

"Honestly…" he fixed his glasses "how many times do I have to…?" he couldn't finish because someone else picked up his attention and his attitude went from being severe to being tense and nervous "Susanna! Good afternoon"

"Hi" she widely smiled "but please, don't stand there, come on in. Let's go to the studio on the second floor" they walked in front of her. Ronald with a peculiar laugh and Grell looking around.

"I wonder if he's somewhere around here… Sebas-chan! You look so handsome with those clothes" the redheaded said, very excited although he didn't jump towards the demon because his boss' presence limited him a lot.

"Good afternoon" the butler greeted them with a solemn and evidently hypocrite attitude, especially when he looked at William "Mr. Spears…" the dark haired reaper was about to say something, but before they could keep interacting, Susanna walked towards the stairs, hurrying them so they went to the studio. She wanted to avoid any kind of argument between them… as much as she could.

When they were in the studio, Abby had already set a small table with snacks, ice and hot tea for the guests. Everything was specially set in a careful way and there was even a small flower to make it look even better. As soon as Susanna saw it, she was surprised. He didn't expect something like that and then the demon whispered in her ear.

"I made sure everything was ready for your _distinguished_ visitors"

They all got comfortable; one way or another, they knew they would be there for at least a couple hours, so the reapers sat in one of the couches and the girl sat in an individual one next to William, who answered her flirty glances with the eyes, but it didn't last long because Sebastian stood right in the middle of both seats with the excuse of being near her in case she needed something.

William's Green eyes looked at him with anger and annoyance. After seeing such thing, Susanna immediately knew that would be a long, tedious and very tense meeting, thanks to the attitudes and egos of both supernatural beings.

Without wasting more time, they started to discuss the latest information they got.

Susanna told them the details of the interrogatory, she omitted the violent parts, of course. She didn't tell them exactly how Aidan Crawford died. She was sure they had already seen the cinematic record. She explained what he said about numerology being their best ally and the mention of a precise place, as well as all the things about energy and natural disasters, which had been some kind of rehearsal for the whole thing; the evil group was calculating the consequences of their acts.

Despite the explanation, everything seemed to be a pile of isolated concepts, or very hard to relate at least. The only indication of them being part of something bigger were the clues those men had left. Nevertheless, Grell's concerned look showed how serious the matter was and with a deep voice, which he only used on crucial situations, he spoke.

"That means they already have a date to summon the fallen angel and perform the Final Linkage ritual. Now we only have to discover the right dates… the trail of crumbs leads us to numerology. The same with the location. Now we only have to find it. They must have planned this a long time ago and by now, everything must be set"

"I hope it's not too late" Ronald was worried.

"I think there are some numerology book on the basement" the girl casually added "they might be useful. I'll go get them"

"I'll go with you" William hurried to sand up from his seat.

"Yes, thank you" she tried to hide the smile on her face "we won't take long… meanwhile, why don't you check the city maps and look for possible locations? Sebastian knows very well the spots where energy is concentrated"

The demon narrowed his eyes and looked at the girl with suspicion but Susanna deliberately ignored him and left the room with William leaving Ronald and Grell discussing about the maps and the possible places where the summon could be done.

The girl guided William towards the basement entrance inside the house and he followed with steady steps, admiring the details in the house decoration, which had been there for at least two generations, adding a serious and formal touch.

"I must say, you really live in a house decorated with great taste. Elegant and…"

"Cold…" she finished the phrase and looked at him in a peculiar way "to be honest, the only place where I can feel at home is my room. The rest of the place is too… well, molded to my grandfather's taste"

"So, I should assume you don't feel comfortable at all living here"

"Most of the time I don't, but I have too many worries on my mind to get upset about it" there was a pause "besides, it's only temporal…"

The silence after her words was awkward. They both knew what she meant and while William felt a lump in the throat when he thought about it, she scolded herself internally for bringing the subject up. It wasn't exactly the way she wanted to spend that time alone with him.

The basement doors opened and a chill went down Susanna's spine. It was the same feeling every time she visited that place and the shadows that seemed to be trapped there looked at her every movement. She could only ignore them; it was pointless to confront them or try to communicate with them. It would be risky and the family gift could become a course, it wasn't one already.

Unwittingly, her hands started to shake as a reflex to the atmosphere in there and it showed even more when she held the flashlight that was hanging in the entrance. Darkness filled the place, except in that little path illuminated by the lamp.

Suddenly, one of the shadows approached her and she felt very scared, but a hand touched her shoulder with gentleness.

"I can see them too" William said in low voice, almost with tenderness "they are harmless and only observe" then he took the flashlight from Susanna's hands and walked next to her towards the bookcases "besides, I wouldn't let anything happen to you" his voice was firm and made Susanna feel safe and protected, with a warm sensation that went from her stomach to her throat, leaving her speechless.

When they were finally next to the book cases, in the darkest and dismal part of the basement, the point where there were more shadows, they looked for the numerology books. It wouldn't be an easy task, because the place was messy. All the books were mixed: alchemy next to magic rituals and demonology… which was exactly what William read when he felt that lump in the throat again and turned to look at the girl.

"Susanna…" she looked at him expectant "what you said before…." Something kept him from thinking clear "I cannot accept it. I refuse to do it. There must be another way… we could look for alternatives or…" Susanna had never seen that angst expression inside the reaper's eyes, who struggled to find the right words, but it was useless in the end and he sighed, whispering "you deserve a complete life"

Almost without noticing, Susanna moved her hand to touch the reaper's arm and caress him, ready to embrace him, but then a bright light shone next to them.

"Oh, here you are. It occurred to me that perhaps you would need another flashlight and some help to find those books" it was Sebastian, who wore a triumphal smile after interrupting.

She only looked at the floor and sighed, gathering al her strength to not punch the inopportune butler. As for the reaper, he looked at the ceiling and then at the demon, showing him one of his deadliest glares.

"I wonder if a blighted creature like you knows the meaning of the word imprudent…."

"Oh, Mister Spears…" said Sebastian with a charming laugh "I know it perfectly well… but, do you know the meaning of the expression _not in a million years_?"

"Hey, guys…" Susanna finally spoke, interrupting their argument "I think I just found one of the books" she took a volume next to her.

"Indeed. This book could help us a lot. There are at least six more on this bookshelf…" the butler got closer to the bookcase and too several volumes while Susanna and William continued looking in another one.

In the end they found eleven numerology books and two more about energy fields in London. No bad for a start.

The three of them were back in the studio, Grell and Ronald noticed the tension between them and even though they were dying to know what happened in the basement and why Sebastian hurried so much to go with them, neither of them said a word.

As soon as the books were on the desk, each one took two of them and started to look for data. They also used pencils and paper to take notes and write number combinations. At least two hours passed and once every few minutes someone commented something of refilled their cup of tea. Sebastian kept an eye on Susanna's every movement, while she tried to be near William, without much success because they weren't alone and the demon managed to interrupt them every time.

Suddenly, she felt like they weren't getting anywhere and threw her book towards the des and said.

"Goddammit, why is numerology so freaking complicated?"

"You're right" Ronald leaned back in his seat, his face showing how tired he was "and if you add the infinite combinations of numbers, it doesn't look so well"

"Not at all. I think I found something important" William spoke but didn't take his eyes off the book he was holding.

"What did you find?" she was surprised.

"Well, you see, every number has a particular meaning in numerology and…

"Mister Spears, would you be kind enough to tell us something we don't know already?" added Sebastian with annoyance.

"Silence, vermin…"he made a pause and then continued "if it's about dates, we could divide the number in two pairs and a numeral of four, which has to be 2015, because it is referring to the year, of course"

"And the other two will be the day and the month!" Grell exclaimed.

"Exactly. Each day has a different meaning and the energy in each one changes the same way. Many centuries ago weddings were celebrated on the fourth day of the month, because the number means fortune and happiness" William seemed very serious as he explained but he did it with patience and diligently, as if he was a professor in front of a class.

"So, that's where Friday the 13th's legends come from?" asked Ronald as his boss nodded.

"Let's see" Sebastian took a calendar from the desk and looked at the month of August "what does the number 2 mean?"

"More than hat is means, it represents strength and femininity" William answered as he read the book "and, if what they are looking for is strength and something that symbolizes a begin of a foundation of something, they could use any that equals the number 4. I believe we are looking for a date with such characteristics.

"Equals?" Susanna seemed very confused.

"Of course!" Grell hurried to say and took a paper from the table along with a pen and started to write a date "for example, if you take August 2nd of 2015, you would be summing up 2+8+2+1+5, which results in… 18, and then 1+8 and it's nine, which means…" he looked at William, expecting him to explain.

"The number nine is simplicity and neutrality" he said seriously after reading the book he was holding.

"There you go. Now, let's see…" continued Grell " the next dates that add together 4 are… August 6th, August 15th…"

"Wait, did you say August 6th?" Ronald seemed to be very interested and Grell nodded "well, there will be a soccer match on that day, between…."

"Chelsea and Manchester United" she hurried to say.

"Yes!" he looked at her and seemed to be excited "do you like football?"

"No, not really… but I happen to like this Chelsea player and I follow his news and matches… you know? Now that I think about it, it wouldn't be a bad idea to move some influences so I can meet him… why didn't I think of that before?" she smiled to herself and then her expression changed dramatically. She felt very embarrassed after noticing everyone's glares, except for Ronald, who was amused.

"A soccer game on that date can't be a coincidence. I f I had to guess, I would say they choose that day to perform the ritual" explained Ronald.

"And why do you think that?" Grell was exceptic.

"Aidan Crawford said something about energy, right?... well, numerology isn't the only thing that channels it. Actually, people can do it too and what better way to do it than a huge event with euphoria and excitement such as a soccer match. It would be a great boost"

"I believe you're right. And so, we have our date…" Sebastian smiled and wrote something on the calendar "and our location…"

Then, the demon walked towards one of the bookcases where there were some rolled papers, among them a detailed map of London. He extended it on the floor and quickly found Stamford Bridge; Chelsea's FC home stadium. He used a red marker to highlight the place and then he drew some lined that connected it with nearby locations: Brompton Cemetery, London Oratory School, Hyde Park and Fulham Broadway station. All of them very specific to be random places…

The reapers and Susanna looked at him with expectation, not understanding what he was doing. William remained thoughtful for a moment and then approached to take a better look at the map. Then he started to explain.

"Of course! Those are places where we could access and stop the summoning. We might get to the stadium from there: Hyde Park would be an excellent choice, because is relatively nearby and crowded… enough to blend in" he traced the line with his fingers, calculating the time to get to the summoning location.

"And why don't we just enter to the stadium like regular fans?... that would be easier" Susanna asked as she raised an eyebrow.

"I'm afraid we don't have the details of Demian's plans and we are not completely sure if the ritual will take place there. I suggest we use another entrance and think about an escape route" answered William with a serious voice. His head was filled with thoughts and possibilities.

"It's obvious the ritual will be there!" Grell complained and sat in the sofa "the same happened with the past summons. Schneider used those 200 souls in the containers and made the ritual a few meters away. Soler and Crawford planned to do something similar, so apparently they have to be in short distance.

"That is indeed true" William stood up and adjusted his glasses "I suggest gathering more information about it, check our files and cinematic records to find other entrances to the stadium or at least recent renovations on the basement. Susanna, I would like to have another meeting to discuss our findings as soon as we have the information" he said formally and using a kind tone as he looked at her with something similar to doubt in his eyes, trying to tell her something more.

"Alright…" she smiled and before she could say anything else, Sebastian stood in front of her and spoke to the reaper with a grim look.

"And long would that take you? An investigation such as that could take days! It might be faster to use other methods, or get someone more… useful"

"Hey! Ronald immediately raised his voice and looked at the demon with anger "who do you think you're talking to? We reapers are faster and more effective than you think, demon"

"Indeed we are... but what else did you expect?" the Supervisor's expression became rigid and cold, and it was exclusively against Sebastian "it is not something a twit like you would know" he looked at him with a glance that could have easily pierced through the demon and then he changed his attitude "Why don't we divide in teams to look in those places? That we could have results in two days at most"

"That's a great idea, William" she got closer to him, ignoring Sebastian for an instant "we need someone to go to the stadium, someone else in the cemetery, another one in Hyde Park and another in London Oratory School.

"Excellent idea. We have four locations and we are five. For security purposes, I suggest Miss Susanna going with an escort"

"Well thought, Sebastian. I'll arrange the parties…" and then a mischievous look appeared in her face along with a smile in Susanna's lips… she would definitely enjoy this.

 _ **Author's notes:**_

 _ **Hi guys! Thanks for reading. As promised, this chapter was a little denser with the numerology explanation, although I had a lot of fun imagining Sebastian interrupting right in the most interesting moment. Did you think he would give up that easy? He has a couple tricks under his sleeve, and ones of them is quite interesting… just wait and see.**_

 _ **TfallingangelT: Yes, he's a total sweetheart. And you'll love him even more in the next chapter ;) this will get very interesting! And of course! Why wouldn't I? I really appreciate that you take the time to read this and comment.**_


	33. Por una cabeza (Sebastian)

**Chapter 28. Sebastian route.**

 **Por una cabeza.**

Susanna continued with the plans for the party while Sebastian had something else in mind. Something that, despite of being related to her orders about the dance lessons, implied a different point of view about them. Things would be done according to the demon's wishes and although it wasn't necessary something bad or perverse, she would be in some kind of trouble…

Meanwhile, in another part of London; Stamford Bridge stadium to be precise, a group of fans gathered on the entrance. They all seemed to pretty anxious to start the tour inside their favorite's team home and while an attractive girl who would be their guide welcomed them, Ronald Knox dressed with a pair of jeans and Chelsea's traditional blue jersey, widely smiled as he looked around

"Even work could be fun in situations like this…" and then he walked along with the rest of the group, who were heading towards the first part of the tour.

The stadium was huge and had many entrance gates, so it would be difficult to guess which one would Demian use if he decided to get inside the place by conventional methods. The official store was also very big and it was connected to a big warehouse where uniforms, soccer balls and other merchandise was kept.

The young reaper didn't have much luck finding a discreet door leading to the warehouse, but the matchday the place would be so crowded that anyone getting in or out of it would be hardly noticeable, so he took note of it.

After taking a look inside the store, the guide took them to the trophy room, where all the cups, medals and prizes won by the Chelsea were displayed. In that same place a video with the team and stadium history was projected as well. While the rest of the group looked at the screens, Ronald took the opportunity to flirt with the guide, smiling and teasing her with his eyes, and apparently she didn't dislike it at all.

The next stop was the dressing room, where the lockers were. Each one had picture of a player and his number, and the reaper took a couple photos. When the group finally went to the soccer field, everyone was so excited and the guide allowed them to take pictures in the bench and have a walk around the field. Meanwhile, the infiltrated took a look at the surroundings and other entrances, making sure he didn't miss anything.

The whole place was full or surveillance cameras and the few spots without cameras, were destined for journalist and the media on the day of the match, so it would be very difficult to pass unnoticed and at the same time, causing disturbance would be really easy.

The next part of the tour took them to the stands, with capacity for 40,000 people. It was an enormous amount of people and just thinking that all of them could be sacrificed to summon the fallen angel, made Ronald shiver as he kept taking noted of everything he saw. Finding the exact place where the ritual would take place would be like finding a needle in a stack, especially because they didn't know if Demian would be inside the stadium or not.

When the tour was over, the guide kindly said farewell to the group and when they were all gone, Ronald approached the girl with a big smile and a flirtatious attitude. She answered with a mischievous glance as well.

"Hi… Anne, right?"

"Wow, so you actually remember my name"

"Of course! How could I forget the name of a pretty girl like you? My name is Ronald" he winked.

"Very well, Ronald. What can I do for you?"

"Well, you see…" he got closer to her and talked with a husky voice "for many years, I've been a big fan of the team. I think it's a little obvious, isn't it?" he charmingly laughed while looking at his jersey "and I think you have a gift for leading tours. I really liked how you explained the history of this place and how much you know about the team, so I was wondering if… by any chance, is there an extended version of the tour…?"

"What do you mean?" she raised an eyebrow but she seemed to be intrigued by the guy in front of her; there was something special in his eyes.

"What I mean is that… perhaps you know the deepest parts of the stadium, what is beneath all this… maybe somewhere more…" he whispered in her ear "…private…" she immediately blushed and widely smiled as she looked at him with flirty eyes.

"Of course… come with me" and then she took him to a hidden door that led directly to the underground level.

Once they were there he used his eyes and reaper senses to look around, exploring every corner to find an entrance or a place where a ritual could be performed without being seen.

"Wow… do people actually come around here?" he asked, trying to sound as casual as possible.

"Don't worry. The maintenance guys come her just a couple times a day… during the morning to program de irrigation system and one more time at night to turn on the lights when needed… no one's going to interrupt us" she winked as she walked in front of him, going deeper into the basement, which was now very illuminated.

"What's that over there?" he asked when he saw a corridor that was closed with yellow tapes.

"Oh, it's nothing. A few weeks ago some cracks were repaired and they also installed an auxiliary irrigation system… pretty impressive… it connects directly to the nearby pipes in a tunnel.

"No way…" he smirked after hearing that: he had just found the perfect entrance, but before he could repair on it, he felt the girl getting closer, surrounding him with her arms and then grabbed her waist to hold her thigh, ready for an intense make out session…

That same afternoon, when Susanna was done with her work and took care of the even organization, she decided to relax a little in her room's terrace, along with a glass of whiskey on the rocks.

Her eyes looked at the beautiful garden full of flowers, slowly closing and before she could fall asleep, Sebastian's voice was heard.

"Are you ready for the dance lessons, Milady?"

"Oh, right! I better get changed and…"

"Very well. Everything is ready on the first floor studio"

Once he said that, Sebastian left the room and walked down the stairs, leaving Susanna so she could get something more comfortable to wear.

The girl opened the closet and picked a pair of sport pants and a sleeveless shirt with the same style, as well as a pair blue of sneakers. She'd never taken dance lessons, so she thought it would be similar to any gym or aerobics session.

When she was ready, she pulled up her hair in a ponytail and went down to the first floor, where Sebastian had everything ready; the sofa and the desk were moved to the garage and the place looked even more spacious. Also, the wooden floor was excellent for dancing lessons.

Susanna was amazed by the place change and she looked around, noticing she was alone with the butler, who was waiting for her with great solemnity. He had left his jacket in one of the chairs placed in the corner of the room and he seemed to be ready to push play on the stereo.

"Are you going to be the teacher?" the demon nodded, but she spoke before she did "why didn't I see this coming?" she sighed feeling defeated and got closer to him, crossing her arms as she stood in the center of the place "at least I hope you're a good instructor"

"Don't worry, Miss I'm quite confident on that field and I must say, I'm your best choice. Centuries ago I used to entertain myself assisting to Austrian aristocracy balls and years later I went to multiple events with the English nobility and even Queen Victoria" he smiled with kindness and started the music.

"Very well. Leave those stories for another day and…" she couldn't finish what she was saying because she felt Sebastian's hand on her waist, pulling her closer to him while taking her left hand to put it in the right position.

When their hands were touching they could feel each other's closeness, only separated by the slim piece of fabric if the butler's gloves. They were very close; more than ever and yet, Sebastian kept a professional distance that allowed him to take her by surprise with his actions as he started to lead the dance.

The melody was soft; _Valse Sentimentale_ by Tchaikovsky. Something simple to start with the lessons, and it was even easier with Sebastian, who knew very well how to guide her, as they danced with steady steps around the studio. Slowly, the piece became slightly faster, as if the music notes had life of their own and exploded on an emotive gathering.

Susanna felt her hands starting to sweat but she couldn't distinguish the reason; it might have been the music or having Sebastian so close, but she was giving in to the temptation of his mesmerizing eyes. His glance didn't show arrogance or anything similar, despite how sure he seemed of himself. It was just as if it being so charming was natural for him, which far from bothering her, made her feel more attracted to him in a way that was very hard to explain.

It was just as if her emotions suddenly made sense and her body moved by its own will, letting herself go along with the soft movements of the butler, who held her delicately by the waist.

To be honest, he didn't expect it to be so easy to dance with her, as if he wasn't putting any effort on it, but it might just had been because of the music selection… or consequence of something else. Something he noticed a while ago and that motivated him to smile in a special way.

Sebastian's eyes were staring at her and the music rhythm seemed to be the only thing surrounding them. It was just the two of them, the rhythm and their smooth movements.

"Keep your chin up and… a turn" he suddenly said, bringing Susanna back to reality "any man who can actually dance would show you with a soft movement the exact moment of the turn. Just pay attention to it the first times, then it will only be natural" a small grin appeared on his face when he noticed that part was a little difficult for her.

And so they continued dancing, until the walls was over and another piece started to sound. Sebastian stopped and let her go, separating a little from her.

"I believe you don't have much problem with waltz, which is a common music for elegant balls"

"…Thanks… although I'd never danced it before" she was a little thoughtful.

"It might be family legacy" he touched his chin "slow dances aren't exactly what you need to learn… I believe they will probably play some other styles, such as Bossa Nova, Jazz, something like the piece we just danced, and even Glenn Miller"

"That sounds like a good election… and I've always considered jazz as a… sensual music" she said as if she was talking to herself "I don't know how to explain it" and he slightly raised an eyebrow.

"Jazz is an interesting mix of sounds, but I couldn't say it's my favorite. And I'm so sorry, but if I may say it… it is the least sensual music I've ever heard…"

"What?" she seemed offended "are you deaf or something?" he looked at her with reproach "alright, then… how about blues?"

"My lady, I'm seriously worried about your musical tastes…" and then he mischievously smiled "…and even more about your concept of sensuality"

"Oh believe me, there is nothing wrong with it" she crossed her arms as she laughed and turned her back on him.

"Oh, really?... in that case, let's change our lessons to something… different"

Sebastian walked towards the stereo and took a CD from the pile next to it. Then, he took off his gloves with calm and with a subtle movement he threw them at the chair. As he put the disc on, he glanced at Susanna, who was looking at him too with an incredulous smile. As soon as he pushed play an air blast blew in the room and an instant later he appeared right in front of her, grabbing her waist.

"What…?"

"Just follow me…" his voice was almost whisper in her ears, deep and seductive.

As soon as Susanna heard the sound of the accordion, the first notes marked by a violin and a piano, she knew her butler's idea of sensual dance was tango.

Slowly, Sebastian's hands started to move upwards from her waist and she felt how the intensity of the music went according to his movements. It was a melody she thought she heard somewhere before, although she wasn't sure where, but it seemed to be a traditional tango; a deep and touching song that took her away for an instant, feeling her chest with emotions and expectations.

When the melody became a little faster she knew this would be an unforgettable experience and the feeling became more intense when she saw the fire on the demon's eyes looking at her. Anything could happen and she had to be ready for it.

One of his hands remained in her middle back and the other one continued moving until it was on her scapula, following the line of her arm, which he slightly touched with his finger and then he moved it so she would grab his neck. Their foreheads were touching and he was getting dangerously close. Nevertheless, before her hand touched his nape, he took her hand firmly, not letting their fingers entwine. Instead, their palms did it and it was then when he took a step forward, finally starting with the dance.

Susanna didn't knew exactly what she was doing and most of her movements were guided by Sebastian. She was pretty sure he was the one making her legs move by inertia, helped by his right arm, which held most of her weight.

His steps were fast and advanced through the studio until he suddenly stopped and their faces were very close. Susanna's heart almost stopped and for an instant she stopped breathing, expectant for the demon's actions. Before their lips touched, he made her turn with a fast movement and she could feel his breath on her neck as he surrounded her waist again, wandering through her torso and stopping right below her breasts.

Then he took her arm to make her turn again, taking long steps forward and to the sides, as if he was making her go back every time he tried to get closer. He knew very well she would be reluctant at first, so he took the chance to get closer, making her take longer steps.

The marked pace of the music indicated when they had to change movements and with each change, Susanna held tighter to Sebastian's back, perhaps because she was afraid to slip, or because she wanted to keep him close and find out if his heart beat as fast as hers.

When the pace accelerated again he put one leg between hers, opening them slowly while he pulled her hand with a fast movement so she would hold his neck as he inclined her backwards.

He was holding her by the waist with one arm and he used the other touch Susanna's thigh, deeply regretting she wasn't wearing a skirt. With great finesse he traced his leg until he touched her leg calf. She let out a soft moan, and satisfied he made her use her leg to surround his waist so she could holdas he leaned her back even more. A reflex movement made her hold on tight so she wouldn't fall and a suggestive image appeared in her head, encouraged by Sebastian's hand, which was touching her thigh again with all the smoothness the moment allowed him to.

When they stood up straight again they repeated the first steeps; the music became slower for a few instants and when it accelerated again he made her turn again, taking her arms and rising them above her head, enjoying the contact between his skin and hers. Still holding her arms, he surrounded her own waist with them, making her bend a little. Now the girl's neck was exposed and he sided his head a little to kiss her right in the contract mark.

Susanna's skin shivered immediately and an electric shock travelled around every part of her body, turning on something inside. The brief instant Sebastian's lips lingered on her skin were enough to make her get lost in the pleasant sensations, among them something that made her feel even more connected to him.

A moment later he guided her so she would turn again and face him, then with his leg between hers, he leaned her backwards as the music ended with two marked sounds of the piano. This time their faces were too close and Susanna could feel his breathing on her cheek. She was almost in ecstasy because of his closeness mixed with the enchanting aroma of his cologne. Her heart beat hard and fast and she felt a great urge to kiss him, and she knew he did as well, but he didn't move; he didn't get any closer. He remained in that same position: leaning over her and holding her waist, waiting for her to make the first move. Heaven knows he'd be more than happy to make the next ones…

She got closer to him for a second and before the distance between their lips disappeared she regretted it and with a whisper she managed to speak.

"Please, let go of me" she gulped, waking up from the overwhelming sensations he caused her.

"I'm afraid if do that you would fall, My lady..." his smirk was slightly malicious and their faces were still so close to each other's.

"You know very well what I mean" and then she used her hand to push him by the chest, until they were standing straight and they separated "enough classes for today…"

Susanna's voice was serious and she couldn't gather the strength to look at him in the eye. She knew she wouldn't be able to restrain herself is she did and of course he would noticed how bad she was blushing, so she opened the door and ran towards her room, where she'd spend the rest of the afternoon, avoiding him and perhaps fantasizing about what could have happened if she'd kissed him.

The great library in the reaper realm seemed lonely and silent as always; few were the ones who visited that building, and the ones who did, were there to make a specific investigation, just like the Supervisor of the Dispatch Society and Grell Sutcliff in that moment. They had spent the past days watching cinematic records, looking for clues that could lead them to a location where the ritual could take place.

The search criteria included recent maintenance works and constructions in London. It wasn't an easy nor entertaining task. Truth to be told, it was a tedious and boring work, but it was necessary to know where everything could take place. In the past year, around 30 underground, subway and sewer system modifications took place.

According to their last meeting with Susanna and Sebastian, the summon would take place somewhere nearby Stamford Bridge and a big part of their investigations depended on Ronald's abilities to infiltrate that place, but they hadn't heard from him since midday, which made William specially grumpy, as he checked a city hall employee's cinematic record. Meanwhile, Grell carried another pile of books.

Suddenly they heard the door opening and they turned to see who it was. Ronald entered the library with a big smile on his face and wearing casual clothes. He carried two long paper rolls. "I'll assume that the reason you're still wearing those clothes is because you came here as soon as you finished with your job" William gave him a severe and disapproval look.

"Of course!... I came back as soon as I could and… I found something in the stadium.

"Do tell!" Grell leaned on the handrail in front of the book cases and looked at his colleague.

"The stadium has many entrances and even a warehouse on the back of the official store, but I highly doubt the ritual would be held there; it could risk the life of the person doing the summon. On the other hand, the entrance despite of being numerous and big, wouldn't let the people evacuate the place at least before half an hour, so it is an ideal place for the ritual. No, the question is, where?"

"That is precisely what you were supposed to investigate…" William started to lose his patience.

"Exactly!" the young reaper suddenly smiled "thanks to my special abilities, I was able to take a look at the basement of the stadium, which is conveniently almost abandoned. There is just someone who goes there twice a day and turns on the irrigation system and the lights. Also, there was some maintenance done there recently"

"What kind of maintenance?" Grell asked.

"Well, according to what someone told me, there was some kind of maintenance don in the past few weeks and now the irrigation system is connected to some pipes nearby the subway, so I checked some plans…" he took one of the papers he has holding and unrolled it on the floor "ups!... wrong one…" he noticed he took the Chelsea first team poster, so he hurried to take the actual plans, ignoring his boss' severe look "this is the one…" he used a pen to point the intersection points of the subway and the stadium "this pipeline goes all the way through the subway. It's a big pipe that requires maintenance a few times a year, so the tunnel is big enough to use machinery and at least three people can walk in there without problem"

"So it's possible that the ritual is held there" William looked at the plans with relief. He was tired of looking at the cinematic records looking for a clue.

"We could use the subway to enter. It's very crowded and everyone's minding their own business, so no one would notice if we're careful"

"Actually, I checked the station and… there are many police officers, but there is also something interesting. Look at this" he pointed at another tunnel that went south of the station but that lead to another sewer system that had an intersection with the stadium's main pipeline tunnel "and here's another one that goes to Hyde park, another one leading to the London Oratory school and one last tunnel that goes to the Brompton Cemetery"

"Brompton Cemetery?" asked William as if he just realized something "just a moment…" and then he stood up from his seat and walked towards the other side of the library, leaving the other two reapers very confused. A few minutes later he was back with a cinematic record in hand "I remember collecting a soul during World War II. It was from a priest that helped the orphans during the conflict" he spoke as he walked and the record started to shine, showing an old man hurrying a group of children so they could enter a mausoleum" many tunnels were adequate as bomb shelters during the war. One of them is right under Brompton Cemetery and the entrance is right here" he pointed at the mausoleum "gentlemen, I believe we have our entrance route. Now we only have to plan our actions" he said proudly.

"Great!" Ronald exclaimed with a big grin.

"Yeah, but I still have a question..." the redheaded looked at the younger reaper "why is there a hickey on your neck?" almost immediately, Ronald became pale and William used his death scythe to adjust his glasses, waiting for an explanation with skepticism.

 _ **Author's notes.**_

 _ **Hi guys! I know I'm such a teaser _ I'm sorry, I couldn't help it! I absolutely adored the dance scene… and in case you want to check, this chapter's ost is, of course, Tchaikovsky's Valse Sentimentale and the tango is Por una cabeza (I suggest Nicola Benedetti's version), which is the name of the chapter. This is an amazing and touching song!**_

 _ **I really promise something will happen on the next chapter! I just wanted to give the characters a little time… perhaps a lot… so when it happens, it will be more meaningful. What do you think? I really hope you're not getting to anxious about it ho ho ho.**_

 **KC: Hi! Sorry…. I'm not trying to be a troll… but this was a pretty good approach between them, right? I swear it won't be long before something happens between them. Thanks for reading!**

 **Take care guys!**


	34. Disguises (William)

**Chapter 28. William's route.**

 **Disguises.**

The decision of forming teams to visit each location was already taken. The only thing left to do was assigning who would be going where, which undoubtedly would be amusing for Susanna.

"The park and the cemetery are easy locations, but the stadium and the school will be more complicated" she remained serious for a moment, trying to come up with an excuse to get inside the school.

"Getting inside the stadium will be easy. There are fan tours at least twice a week" commented Ronald "and we could come up with something similar for the school…" then, the girl walked towards the desk and turned the computer on. She seemed to be very focused.

Meanwhile the reapers discussed how to infiltrate in the stadium and the cemetery and Sebastian looked at them with suspicion. Then he approached Susanna without her noticing.

"What are you looking for, Milady?" he whispered and she couldn't help but jump a little. She didn't expect the butler being so close to her "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you" he put a lovely smile on his face. A gesture that tried to touch something deep inside her and at the same time to upset William, who was looking at him, his eyes telling the demon that he wouldn't hesitate before doing something if he bothered the girl.

"Darn! Sometimes you're just like a ninja… I'm searching for the date when the classes start in London Oratory School" she ignored the Butler and got closer to the computer screen to see the dates "apparently, the school year hasn't started yet…"

"That means the admission office will be open…" the demon pointed as he touched his chin, showing he was planning something.

"Of course… now we only have to get a kid…" she joked and everyone looked at her in disbelief "what?... I'm only joking, where the hell do you think we can get a kid who could help us and…?"

"Perhaps the kid isn't as necessary as it seems. We could just ask for an interview with the school principal" suggested Ronald "Oh, I've got it!" and then a mischievous smile appeared on his face as he looked at his boss and Susanna "you could just pretend to be the parents"

"What?!" said everyone in the studio. Apparently everyone considered his idea to be rather extravagant.

"Don't you think it would be easier if you guys only… appeared there… like magic?" the girl was slightly blushing.

"Not at all" William cleared his throat "it's not only _appearing_ on the basement and see if there is a tunnel; we need to insect the whole place"

Suddenly there was silence. Everyone was thinking about another option to get inside, but they needed a good excuse that could deceive the school staff. No more than two minutes later, Grell added.

"Well, it's not a bad idea. We could go and ask for about the admissions and…"

"Of course… all together! That isn't suspicious at all" Susanna was losing her patience.

"Hey! What are you implying?" the redheaded reaper stood up from his seat but he was interrupted by Sebastian.

"I could disguise myself as a professor who's applying for a job there"

"Really?"

"Yes. It would be an easy task for me. I'll take care of the necessary paperwork and schedule an interview with the headmaster. I've done that before without any difficulty" he said proudly.

"It's decided, then!" Ronald exclaimed "Sebastian will go to the interview and you two will go and ask for admissions information so little Billy could enroll…" he could barely hide his laughter when he saw Susanna's blush and everyone's tension.

"And why can't I go with Will instead?" Grell hurried to complain "I would be an excellent wife for him. Right, honey?" he approached the Supervisor with the intention of embrace him, but instead he punched him with his death scythe and added.

"London Oratory School is a very conservative and tradition institution. For obvious reasons I highly doubt your idea could work… Grell Sutcliff" he made a pause "nevertheless, you could infiltrate as a professor as well" he looked at Sebastian with an inexpressive face but undoubtedly it was a small interview like goo colleagues…"

Sebastian frowned and could almost feel a vein swelling on his forehead as Grell swooped over him with great enthusiasm. Then he glared at William, who seemed to be rather pleased with his actions.

Two days later, the plan to infiltrate London Oratory School was about to begin. It was 10 AM when the reappears appeared right in front of the Serafer residence but, unlike other occasions, Grell wore an outfit that, despite of being a little extravagant, seemed professional and consisted on red trousers and ties with a white shirt and a black sweater. Something matching his personality.

As for William, he had the usual outfit and Susanna, who was dressed with the classic attire of an elegant family mother; a coral pink dress, looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Are you really going dressed like that'" she complained.

"What's wrong with my clothes?" he was almost offended and before he could say anything else, Sebastian appeared with a professor look: black suit what instead of having a vest, had a matching sweater and a white shirt with a necktie that matched the outfit. His hair was combed back and he wore glasses that made him look like an intellectual. He looked very attractive and Grell's eyes shone as soon as he saw the butler.

"Go ahead, guys. We'll see you at the school in half an hour" Said Susanna looking at Sebastian with a serious expression and before he could say something about it, she stood on her tiptoes, grabbing his shoulder and whispered _"it's an order"_ and then she pushed him so he would go out along with Grell.

Once the two professors were outside the house, she turned to look at William with disapproval.

"Will, don't take this the wrong way but you look like a bureaucrat, not a family man" he opened his mouth to say something but after seeing the determination on the girl's eyes he stopped "I think we could make a couple modifications"

"What kind of modifications?" he raised an eyebrow.

"You'll see" she winked and then looked at him from head to toe in a very unsubtle way, making him feel a little tense… or nervous… he tried to not put an adjective to his thoughts and almost immediately he heard the girl raising her voice as she walked towards the kitchen "Fer!... Fer! Where are you?" then she turned to look at the reaper "take a seat in the living room, I'll be right back" and then she disappeared.

William did as he was told, sighing and feeling a little anxious. He didn't want to be late for the interview with the headmaster. The sensation didn't last long because Susanna came back very quick, carrying a blue plaid shirt.

"Alright… I think Fer and you are the same size" she handed him the shirt "with those trousers you're wearing and the shirt you'll look more casual… come on, don't look at me like that, we don't have much time" she ignored his reproach glance and pulled him by the arm so he would enter the bathroom and change.

When he was out, he seemed like a completely different person; someone more relaxed. He wasn't wearing the jacket and his gloves were gone. Instead he wore the blue shirt and the necktie.

"Much better but…this has to go" and then she got closer to him and tried to take off his tie, but she stopped when she was conscious of the distance between them and how suggestive her actions could be.

She took a step back as he enjoyed her reaction. He'd never seen her like that and of course he knew the reason behind her attitude, nevertheless he didn't say anything to upset her and with a precise movement he took off the necktie. Then he proceeded to roll up his sleeves to give the look a final touch. He wasn't so lost when it came to fashion trends, but he really didn't care about them. Before any of them could say anything, Fer approached them with a big grin.

"Wow, that's what I call a makeover! ... and you wear that shirt better than me, Mr. Spears. Don't you think so, Miss?" he couldn't miss the chance of putting a few ideas inside the girl's mind, although he regretted Sebastian wasn't there to get upset.

"I… I think we should go now" and then she walked towards the door "thanks a lot, Fer" and then she left the house and headed to the garage, followed by William, who gratefully nodded at the lad. When he got to the garage, Susanna was already waiting for him next to an electric blue Bentley "do you want to drive?" she offered him the keys.

"Of course" he hid a tiny smile that started to show on his face and then he opened the door for the girl. He entered the car after that, turned it on and looked at her with tenderness "here we go"

The road towards the school was a little long, but it seemed short for them; they were planning the details of their story, so it wouldn't be so suspicious.

William parked the car as near as he could from the school and then they both walked towards the entrance. Susanna took a deep breath before entering. She was anxious and nervous about the whole act but she was also worried about her interaction with the reaper. When he noticed it, he got a little closer to her and in a low voice he said.

"Everything is going to be alright. Trust me"

And then he casually took her hand, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. William thought it was a completely alien gesture for him. Something he would never do, and yet his hand felt so warm next to Susanna's contact. His skin was a few grades lower than a normal human being, so the contrast with the girl felt nice. Like it was the right thing to do.

As for her, she was about to blush but it all happened so fast and grabbing his hand filled her with confidence to continue the act. They walked along the hallway and then she looked at him with a kind glance, admiring his handsome face and forgetting about everything else for a second; let in her mind wander… until a male voice could be heard in the distance.

"Mr. and Mrs. Spears!" no, couldn't come up with a more original name "it's you, right?"

"Yes" Susanna smiled when she noticed an older man approaching them.

"It's very nice to finally meet you. I'm headmaster Cole" he greeted them and shook their hands "I'm so happy you are considering our institution as an option for your son. Please, come with me so I could tell you about the study plans and our philosophy..." she smiled as naturally as she could and along with the reaper followed the headmaster.

The meeting lasted about an hour. The headmaster was a very committed with his job and the school values, so he spent most of the tie talking about the school's ideas, their achievements and their student's profiles.

Once it was over he asked them some questions as an interview. He wanted to know what kind of people were _Billy's_ parents and after that, they finally took a tour around the campus.

The school was quite big and there were many classrooms, labs and gardens. A very complete and serious institution, even a little frightening at first look.

While they walked around the place, Susanna an W checked the whole place carefully, looking for the smallest detail that could led them to think the ritual could be performed there or that there could be a tunnel connecting the sewer system and the stadium's tunnel, but they didn't have much luck.

"And how old is little Billy?" the headmaster asked.

"He is seven" she answered, thankful for the time they spent rehearsing their story.

"He's still a little kid" he made a pause "Mrs. Spears, if I may say it… you look very young"

"Oh, it's because… I got married very young. On my first year at college" she smiled at William.

"That's right. Eight years ago" he embraced her with his left arm as he seriously explained. An attitude that didn't match his caring gesture "time flies…"

"Indeed and…" she managed to say and then noticed Sebastian and Grell walking next to another professor in the distance.

"What a coincidence! It looks like they are our brand new teachers…" the headmaster moved his hand so they would approach.

As soon as Sebastian saw William holding Susanna, a small blaze caused by his demon eyes appeared on his pupils, but the reaper didn't consider for a moment letting her go. Instead he walked towards them, showing Sebastian a defiant glare and in that moment the girl was thankful there were other people there, otherwise it would have turn into bloody battle.

"Mr. and Mrs. Spears, let me introduce you to professor Michaelis and professor Sutcliff.

It's a pleasure to meet you" she smiled and then bit her lip to stop her nervous laugh.

"I was showing the campus to our new teachers" the man next to Grell and Sebastian added.

"How curious. We were just doing the same. The only thing left to see are the football and rugby fields"

"I see. We were on our way out. I'll see you later, Headmaster…" the professor continued walking, followed by the demon and the redhead reaper, who glared at William and Susanna respectively.

The girl felt a chill going down her spine. She would, undoubtedly have to deal with his butler's complains later.

The tour around the campus lasted for a few more minutes and then, without finding any sign of an underground entrance, _the Spears_ left the school. The tension was already gone and they got their true identities back as they walked back to the car, keeping some distance between them.

She enjoyed the situation very much, despite the tension and how awkward it felt at first and William's attitude surprised her as well. The reaper's seriousness had always intrigued her.

As for William, he seemed to be as reserved as always, at least on the surface, but he didn't dislike the contact he had with the girl at all. In fact, the thing he enjoyed the most was taking her hand, because it was an honest gesture; it wasn't forced by the circumstances and he had the perfect excuse to do it. He'd been meaning to have a different approach with her but for some reason he never found the right situation, so he thought that could be the day he'd finally managed to.

They were heading towards the car when a gorgeous woman with black hair appeared in front of them a few meters away. She had a body any girl would envy and any man would desire. She wore a purple tight dress that exalted her attributes in the right spots. She had a seductive look in her eyes, almost arrogant and her eyes had a very peculiar brown color, almost mahogany, throwing flirty glances at the nearby men, who almost instinctively turned to see her. It was as if she was directly taken out from a fashion parade, except she was too real.

Susanna noticed she was getting closer to them with a flirtatious smile, but before she could say anything she saw the young woman getting closer to William, surrounding his neck with her arms, leaving her speechless.

"William, darling how are you? I never thought I would find you here" she was too close to the reaper and he immediately tried to get her away from him with a polite gesture but feeling a little perplexed.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" he was confused as he studied her. There was something that looked oddly familiar and undoubtedly out of place.

"Oh, you're such a tease…" she laughed seductively "I can't stop thinking about you. Not since that night. I know it was only a few days ago, but it feels like it was yesterday that we almost broke the bed in my apartment in Manchester" Susanna was shocked and she raised her eyebrows, although more than being surprised, she felt a lump in her throat and nausea because of the sudden disappointment "oh, sorry… and you are…?" the unknown girl finally spoke to Susanna, holding William's arm. He was still pretty confused about the whole thing but observed the girl with suspicion.

"I…" she was almost speechless, but then she smiles cynically "apparently, no one important. See you later, Spears" after saying that, she hurried to get to the car and started it, driving as fast as she could to get home.

"My, my… seems like she's in a hurry" the girl laughed again "that's even better for me…" and suddenly her expression turned victorious and William immediately recognized her. He knew there was something odd with her and her presence was way to supernatural to be a human.

"I should have known it!" he jumped back "get away from me, you blithering arsehole!" "Me?" her voice was innocent.

"Stop pretending!" and then he took his death scythe, but Grell appeared before he could do something

"Will! Have you seen Sebas-chan? We were… hey, who's this" he looked at the girl with disgust.

"Can't you see is that… that… blighted demon?"

"Sebas-chan?" Grell looked at the girl for a moment "wow! What a transformation…" and then the _girls's_ attitude extremely changed as she rested her hand in her waist.

"I thought that being a reaper you'd notice sooner… of course, my disguise is excellent" the demon played with has black hair and laughed with a pretentious attitude "you should have seen your face, William… it's interesting how a little misunderstanding could bring so many consequences… remember what I said before: _not in a million years_ " and then she started to walk away.

"I shall not forget this" he held tight his death scythe, struggling against the urge of pierce the demon's chest with it.

"I know… I'll have to deal with Miss Susanna as soon as I go back but… it was worth it. Especially after what you did before" and then he looked at him with his red and bright eyes and kept walking, leaving Grell very confused and a very angry William standing there.

Meanwhile, in another part of London; Stamford Bridge stadium to be precise, a group of fans gathered on the entrance. They all seemed to pretty anxious to start the tour inside their favorite's team home and while an attractive girl who would be their guide welcomed them, Ronald Knox dressed with a pair of jeans and Chelsea's traditional blue jersey, widely smiled as he looked around

"Even work could be fun in situations like this…" and then he walked along with the rest of the group, who were heading towards the first part of the tour.

The stadium was huge and had many entrance gates, so it would be difficult to guess which one would Demian use if he decided to get inside the place by conventional methods. The official store was also very big and it was connected to a big warehouse where uniforms, soccer balls and other merchandise was kept.

The young reaper didn't have much luck finding a discreet door leading to the warehouse, but the matchday the place would be so crowded that anyone getting in or out of it would be hardly noticeable, so he took note of it.

After taking a look inside the store, the guide took them to the trophy room, where all the cups, medals and prizes won by the Chelsea were displayed. In that same place a video with the team and stadium history was projected as well. While the rest of the group looked at the screens, Ronald took the opportunity to flirt with the guide, smiling and teasing her with his eyes, and apparently she didn't dislike it at all.

The next stop was the dressing room, where the lockers were. Each one had picture of a player and his number, and the reaper took a couple photos. When the group finally went to the soccer field, everyone was so excited and the guide allowed them to take pictures in the bench and have a walk around the field. Meanwhile, the infiltrated took a look at the surroundings and other entrances, making sure he didn't miss anything.

The whole place was full or surveillance cameras and the few spots without cameras, were destined for journalist and the media on the day of the match, so it would be very difficult to pass unnoticed and at the same time, causing disturbance would be a piece of cake.

The next part of the tour took them to the stands, with capacity for 40,000 people. It was an enormous amount of people and just thinking that all of them could be sacrificed to summon the fallen angel, made Ronald shiver as he kept taking noted of everything he saw. Finding the exact place where the ritual would take place would be like finding a needle in a stack, especially because they didn't know if Demian would be inside the stadium or not.

When the tour was over, the guide kindly said farewell to the group and when they were all gone, Ronald approached the girl with a big smile and a flirtatious attitude. She answered with a mischievous glance as well.

"Hi… Anne, right?"

"Wow, so you actually remember my name"

"Of course! How could I forget the name of a pretty girl like you? My name is Ronald" he winked.

"Very well, Ronald. What can I do for you?"

"Well, you see…" he got closer to her and talked with a husky voice "for many years, I've been a big fan of the team. I think it's a little obvious, isn't it?" he charmingly laughed while looking at his jersey "and I think you have a gift for leading tours. I really liked how you explained the history of this place and how much you know about the team, so I was wondering if… by any chance, is there an extended version of the tour…?"

"What do you mean?" she raised an eyebrow but she seemed to be intrigued by the guy in front of her; there was something special in his eyes.

"What I mean is that… perhaps you know the deepest parts of the stadium, what is beneath all this… maybe somewhere more…" he whispered in her ear "…private…" she immediately blushed and widely smiled as she looked at him with flirty eyes.

"Of course… come with me" and then she took him to a hidden door that led directly to the underground level.

Once they were there he used his eyes and reaper senses to look around, exploring every corner to find an entrance or a place where a ritual could be performed without being seen.

"Wow… do people actually come around here?" he asked, trying to sound as casual as possible.

"Don't worry. The maintenance guys come her just a couple times a day… during the morning to program de irrigation system and one more time at night to turn on the lights when needed… no one's going to interrupt us" she winked as she walked in front of him, going deeper into the basement, which was now very illuminated.

"What's that over there?" he asked when he saw a corridor that was closed with yellow tapes.

"Oh, it's nothing. A few weeks ago some cracks were repaired and they also installed an auxiliary irrigation system… pretty impressive… it connects directly to the nearby pipes in a tunnel.

"No way…" he smirked after hearing that: he had just found the perfect entrance, but before he could repair on it, he felt the girl getting closer, surrounding him with her arms and then grabbed her waist to hold her thigh, ready for an intense make out session…

That same afternoon, at the Serafer's residence, Susanna was sitting in the balcony, thinking about what had happened a few hours before. She knew it was stupid to feel that way; she and William weren't more than friends… or maybe some kind of associates to stop the final linkage, nevertheless she felt something else for him and what she saw that afternoon disappointed her so much.

Everything happened so fast and it was very strange. That young woman came up from God knows where and… actually, William never seemed to recognize her. Perhaps it was all a big confusion… or maybe not. She wouldn't stop to consider it too much because, whatever it was, she felt very upset and it was obvious, so it would be awkward next time they met.

She let her feelings show; her jealousy was evident and that couldn't pass unnoticed by Will. Suddenly she saw Mafer walking next to her and he held the cat for a moment, feeling a tear running down her cheek. An instant late Sebastian appeared, walking slowly and with a different attitude.

Then he made a solemn movement and started talking. He couldn't hid the truth from her, although he definitely enjoyed his mischief; a small victory in a battle he already considered lost… still, the war wasn't over yet.

The great library in the reaper realm seemed lonely and silent as always; few were the ones who visited that building, and the ones who did, were there to make a specific investigation, just like the Supervisor of the Dispatch Society and Grell Sutcliff in that moment. They had spent the four hours watching cinematic records, looking for clues that could lead them to a location where the ritual could take place.

The search criteria included recent maintenance works and constructions in London. It wasn't an easy nor entertaining task. Truth to be told, it was a tedious and boring work, but it was necessary to know where everything could take place. In the past year, around 30 underground, subway and sewer system modifications took place.

According to their last meeting with Susanna and Sebastian, the summon would take place somewhere nearby Stamford Bridge and a big part of their investigations depended on Ronald's abilities to infiltrate that place, but they hadn't heard from him since midday, which made William even grumpier. Especially because he was still angry about what happened with Sebastian. He was very close to stab him with his death scythe, but he wouldn't play his game; he was way beyond that.

He started to feel the signs of a terrible headache and suddenly the library door opened. Grell turned back to look who it was, and Ronald entered the place with a big grin on his face, still wearing the casual clothes. He carried two long paper rolls.

"I'll assume that the reason you're still wearing those clothes is because you came here as soon as you finished with your job" William gave him a severe and disapproval look.

"Of course!... I came back as soon as I could and… I found something in the stadium.

"Do tell!" Grell leaned on the handrail in front of the book cases and looked at his colleague.

"The stadium has many entrances and even a warehouse on the back of the official store, but I highly doubt the ritual would be held there; it could risk the life of the person doing the summoning. On the other hand, the entrance despite of being numerous and big, wouldn't let the people evacuate the place at least before half an hour, so it is an ideal place for the ritual. No, the question is, where?"

"That is precisely what you were supposed to investigate…" William started to lose his patience.

"Exactly!" the young reaper suddenly smiled "thanks to my special abilities, I was able to take a look at the basement of the stadium, which is conveniently almost abandoned. There is just someone who goes there twice a day and turns on the irrigation system and the lights. Also, there was some maintenance done there recently"

"What kind of maintenance?" Grell asked.

"Well, according to what someone told me, there was some kind of maintenance don in the past few weeks and now the irrigation system is connected to some pipes nearby the subway, so I checked some plans…" he took one of the papers he has holding and unrolled it on the floor "ups!... wrong one…" he noticed he took the Chelsea first team poster, so he hurried to take the actual plans, ignoring his boss' severe look "this is the one…" he used a pen to point the intersection points of the subway and the stadium "this pipeline goes all the way through the subway. It's a big pipe that requires maintenance a few times a year, so the tunnel is big enough to use machinery and at least three people can walk in there without problem"

"So it's possible that the ritual is held there" William looked at the plans with relief. He was tired of looking at the cinematic records looking for a clue.

"We could use the subway to enter. It's very crowded and everyone's minding their own business, so no one would notice if we're careful"

"Actually, I checked the station and… there are many police officers, but there is also something interesting. Look at this" he pointed at another tunnel that went south of the station but that lead to another sewer system that had an intersection with the stadium's main pipeline tunnel "and here's another one that goes to Hyde park, another one leading to the London Oratory school and one last tunnel that goes to the Brompton Cemetery"

"Brompton Cemetery?" asked William as if he just realized something "just a moment…" and then he stood up from his seat and walked towards the other side of the library, leaving the other two reapers very confused. A few minutes later he was back with a cinematic record in hand "I remember collecting a soul during World War II. It was from a priest that helped the orphans during the conflict" he spoke as he walked and the record started to shine, showing an old man hurrying a group of children so they could enter a mausoleum. Many tunnels were adequate as bomb shelters during the war. One of them is right under Brompton Cemetery and the entrance is right here" he pointed at the mausoleum "gentlemen, I believe we have our entrance or exit route, but it would be good to check Hyde Park just in case" he thought for a moment and then he said with a tired voice "we'll take care of that tomorrow. You can go home now… I will" and then he walked towards the exit in the first floor, followed by the confused looks of his colleagues.

"Great!" Ronald exclaimed with a big grin as soon as his boss left the library.

"Today's been a strange day and I've been holding back many questions, so I have to ask…" the redhead looked at the younger reaper "why is there a hickey on your neck?" almost immediately, Ronald became pale and a nervous laugh was heard.

That same night, Susanna continued thinking in her bedroom. Sebastian explained everything and he apologized. She got really mad as soon as she heard about her butler's actions and even yelled at him like never before. He didn't have the right to interfere with her personal business and she wouldn't forgive him so easily.

He was undoubtedly aware of the consequences of his acts and he accepted the scolding with stoicism. He enjoyed making the reaper angry, but he genuinely regretted making Susanna feel so bad. He cared for her and his demon mischiefs could harm her beyond his control, which he actually didn't enjoy at all. The girl asked him to not look for her until she summoned him again. She didn't want to see him in a while… perhaps days.

She was exhausted after the intense day, but there was something she had to do before going to sleep, so without wasting any more time, she took the whistle William gave her and wrote a message.

Once she was done, she tied the letter to the dove's leg. It was a particularly odd bird. It had a strange behavior, but she didn't give it much importance and sent the message, where she apologized for her attitude. She wonder about his answer. He would be a fool if he didn't notice her explanations implied she was interested on him in a romantic way, so she was even more anxious and expectant for his answer.

When she finally got an answer, she hurried to open the message. It was brief and William's perfect calligraphy sticking out in the paper.

" _I'm so sorry you had to see that. I should have react sooner and stopped you so I could explain what was going on. I should have done many things, but I didn't. I hope I can make it up to you. We still need to investigate Hyde Park's tunnels. Would you go tomorrow with me? I would like to go for a stroll with you"_

Susanna smiled after reading the note. The next day couldn't arrive fast enough.

 _ **Author's notes.**_

 _ **Hi guys!**_

 _ **I hope you liked this chapter. I tried to add some romantic tension and it ended up I something else… but still, I think it was pretty funny. The process can't be so smooth, right? Also, if you thought our dear demon would just stand there watching and doing nothing while Susanna's going with anther guy, you were wrong! It's in his nature to do such things. Which reminds me, for some reason I thought about Nina Dobrev when I imagined Sebastian as a woman.**_

 _ **TfallingangelT: Indeed… and he keeps getting better at the cockblocking thing! lol but he's digging is own grave, so…**_


	35. The moon, the only witness (Sebastian)

**Chapter 29. Sebastian route.**

 **The moon, the only witness.**

The three reapers met with Susanna at Sebastian the next day. It was very important to make a plan to stop Demian Janssens-Guillot, so as soon as they entered the studio they started to discuss the matter. Nevertheless, from the moment they stepped into the house, William noticed something different in Susanna. Her attitude changed a Little and, despite of looking more relaxed, he couldn't help but thinking she seemed rather laidback, not to mention her attitude towards Sebastian, who looked at her in a different way and more often than usual. Also, he constantly kept an eye on her. More than usual.

The map was on the desk and the sewer system map along with the subway tunnels had already been barked on it by Ronald, who was anxious for his boss to start talking, but William was more thoughtful than usual and the young reaper could imagine why as soon as he noticed the way he looked at Susanna, with insistence while the rest of them were distracted.

"Will?" Susanna asked with curiosity when she noticed the reaper wasn't speaking.

"Oh, right. I'm sorry" he finally said, getting out of his thoughts "according to our observations, it looks like the Stamford Bridge basement is connected to the Subway. Ronald confirmed it yesterday" he looked at the blond lad next to him, letting him know it was his turn to speak.

"A few weeks ago some maintenance works were done in the basement and quite conveniently the auxiliary irrigation system was connected to a pipe right next to the subway. That means there is a tunnel that goes right below the stadium and which could be used to get there. That can't be coincidence" then he pointed at the map "the ritual to bring the fallen angel has to be done near the stadium because it is its primary energy source"

"Are you saying they'll use the subway to get there?" Sebastian asked to confirm his suspicious.

"We don't really know the details about the ritual or how long does it take to perform it, but the day when it'll be performed will be the matchday so we need to be ready to attack and ruin his plans" Grell smiled with PICARDÍA-. He was ready to crash Demian's plans.

"Exactly and for that, we have two routes" Ronald pointed at the map and traced the marked tunnels" there's an entrance in the subway station and another one in Brompton cemetery. Both of them have an intersection with the tunnel that goes to the stadium.

"I see… and how big are those tunnels?" the girl crossed her arms, very focused looking at the reaper.

"They're quite wide. Three or four people can easily walk there and those pipes need maintenance once every few months. They need machinery for that, so they're big enough for a truck to pass through.

"Ronald's right and that's is enough reason to assume the ritual will take place there. I suggest we use both tunnels to enter" William explained with a serious expression "we should split in three parties. One that goes through the subway, another through the cemetery and another in the stadium. That way we would have presence in all the important spots, and that man will not scape"

"Sounds good. I volunteer to go to the stadium and..:" she started to speak but William and Sebastian's alarmed voices interrupted her.

"Don't even think about it!"

"Absolutely not!..." both of them looked at each other for a second and then William explained "in case we cannot stop the ritual, everyone in that stadium could die and their souls will be used as sacrifices" then he looked at her in the eyes like never before; with a cold authority that served him as a mask for his mortification after considering she could die "I won't let you throw your life away"

"Will…" Susanna didn't know what to say. She was shocked after hearing his words.

"I agree. Milady, I'm afraid I cannot let you risk your life like that way" the demon very seemed.

"So… you're letting me out of this?"

"No…" William sighed "it is necessary that you come with us. Only you can stop this, but I ask you not to go to the stadium"

"…I understand" she felt guilty for an instant. She felt bad because she couldn't do anything else, she was aware a human couldn't stand a chance against a fallen angel.

"I suggest that Ronald goes to the stadium. He's already been there and knows the exact place of the tunnel"

"Well then… Sebastian, take care of the tickets for the game" the butler nodded "now we just need to split and make a plan" Susanna sat in the desk's chair and a gloomy look appeared in her face.

The finished tracing the plan two hours later, more or less. They discussed different ways of stopping the ritual and when the meeting was over they all had an idea of how to solve the whole thing and what would be their roles.

It was almost eight o'clock in the night when Susanna was in the living room. She looked at her ancestors photographs as if each one of them told her a different story. It was ironic how none of them seemed to judge her with their staring eyes. On the contrary, she felt as if all those images encouraged her to keep on.

She was enjoying the silence of her loneliness when she felt a piercing look behind her. She slowly turned around to see who it was, but she already know quite well whose glance was it. First, she looked at the floor, as if she was shy to look at him in the eye, but it was something very different.

The image of his black shoes, perfectly polished, made her smile. The excellency the demon had when presenting himself as a butler never failed to impress her. His trousers were perfectly ironed and tailor-made; close-fitting in the right places. The elegancy of his jacket matched the well-adjusted necktie and his handsome face seemed to be patiently and gladly waiting for her to finish with her _examination_.

"Is there something on your mind, Milady?"

"Manny things… My head is just full of thoughts" she smiled at him and after softly sighing she walked towards her studio.

Susanna knew he would follow her, but she still tried to get away from him. Up until that moment, the day had been smooth and the reapers' visit distracted her from that thought that kept chasing her and she refused to face.

She sat in the desk chair and leaned forward. Her face resting on her palm and waiting for Sebastian to enter the door. It didn't take him long to do it and she showed him a tired smile.

"I can't help but notice you look stressed, Milady… or perhaps the correct term would be… nervous?" he looked at her with those persuasive eyes that could almost see though her.

"Nervous?" Not at all" she escaped from his glance and turned her chair to look at the window behind her "just tired and overwhelmed"

"You ought to relax a little" Sebastian's steps could be heard as they walked around the studio, approaching one of the bookcases, then he carefully chose a book and opened it "how about some reading?"

"I doubt I could focus right now" she said uninterested.

"Worry not. I shall read something interesting" while he went thought the pages looking for the right one "I hope you are god with metaphors and literary images, because this particular text has plenty of them"

Susanna raised an eyebrow and looked at him with curiosity until he changed his expression to a more serious one, modulating his voice so it sounded deeper and then he started to talk.

" _Rolling in plump raindrops, alone,_ _  
_ _in raindrops like teeth,_ _  
_ _in thick raindrops of marmalade and blood,_ _  
_ _rolling in fat raindrops_ _  
_ _the water falls,_ _  
_ _like a sword of drops,_ _  
_ _like a tearing river of glass,_ _  
_ _it falls biting,_ _  
_ _knocking on the axis of symmetry,_

 _hitting on the seams of the soul,_ _  
_ _breaking abandoned things, drenching what is dark._ _"_

After saying that last line, Sebastian noticed her fascinated eyes upon him, and a charming smile appeared on his lips. The sound of his voice kept her almost mesmerized.

"Or perhaps Milady would prefer something like this…" he took a few steps to get closer to the desk as he went thought the pages again.

" _My limbs are wasted with a flame,_

 _My feet are sore with travelling,_

 _For, calling on my Lady's name,_

 _My lips have now forgot to sing._

 _O Linnet in the wild-rose brake_

 _Strain for my Love thy melody,_

 _O Lark sing louder for love's sake,_

 _My gentle Lady passeth by._

 _She is too fair for any man_

 _To see or hold his heart's delight,_

 _Fairer than Queen or courtesan_

 _Or moonlit water in the night."_

While Sebastian spoke, Susanna felt her pulse accelerating and she let herself go, giving in to the temptation of assuming the poem was about her, and when he suddenly looked at her with his piercing demon eyes, beautiful, dangerous and alluring at the same time, she was sure it was true.

There was something different in his voice… no, he was being different. His attitude couldn't be farther from threatening, but it was just as dangerous as his demon facet with his bright and feline eyes, and that along with his voice telling such things, giving them a unique meaning, was much more fascinating than anything else she had seen before.

And after being conscious of it, Susanna gathered all her willpower to stop him.

"Enough! I'm tired of your mind games. I'm out of here" she stood up and walked towards the door with steady steps, leaving the frustrated butler behind. He was rather disappointed because he couldn't get what he wanted; there's always a first time…

"I'm terribly sorry. That might have been too cheesy" he hurried and looked for another poem.

"No, it's not that… I… damn! You make everything so complicated. I'm out of here!" she entered her room, fixed her hair and put on some makeup. Then she took a jacket in case it was cold outside and walked down the stairs.

"Where are we going, Milady? " Sebastian suddenly appeared behind her.

"We?" her voice was outraged "I don't think so. I'm going out tonight and I don't want you to come with me for any reason. Understood? That's an order. I'm taking the car, I don't need a driver" she opened the door and right before closing it she spoke again "and by the way, don't wait up for me. You could take the night off, for all I care… ad before you ask… that is an order too"

"If I may say it, despite being an order, I cannot let you put your life at risk. That would be against our contract, so…" Sebastian seemed to have all the patience in the world.

"Don't worry, if my life was threatened you'd be the first to know and then you would magically appear in front of my eyes" she pointed at the mark in her neck "besides…" she said with a mischievous smile, trying to frustrate him even more. By then, the was quite aware of the effect she had on him "if a reaper appears, I'll know it's time to go home… although, if it's William the one who shows up… well, I wouldn't mind having a couple drinks with him" she winked at him before going out and then she entered the garage, leaving Sebastian with a bad-tempered expression and some impotence regarding the whole situation.

Sebastian frowned when he saw car passing by the front gate. It was a car that was rarely used for _security reasons_ ; a blue Bentley that Susanna insisted on buying a few months earlier. The demon knew she was being serious about her last orders but then his face lightened up and a little smile that let his sharp fangs show appeared on his face.

"There's nothing I can do if Milady has order me to not go with her. But there wouldn't be anything wrong if I take the opportunity during my free time and casually meet her"

A couple hours later Susanna was in a crowded bar in London. She was sitting in front of the bartender, enjoying the music and seeing people having fin, although she was there for other reasons. She wanted to put her mind at easy, but she also wanted to prove Sebastian he didn't have her wrapped on his fingers; that he wasn't the owner of her thoughts and that she didn't have feelings for him, much less that she would be willing to give herself to him. Now she knew exactly what he was planning and her thoughts kept telling her it was wrong… if only he didn't make things so difficult…

Suddenly a brown haired guy picked up her attention. He seemed to be the same age as hers and he had a charming smile. His eyes were light brown, almost like honey and his hair was carefully messy, achieving a casually-young look.

He was in the bar with some friend and when he looked at Susanna's direction, she kindly smiled at him. She wasn't good at all when it came to flirt like that, but the few whiskeys she had drunk helped her a lot. She wasn't looking at him with insistence, but their eyes met once in a while and she fixed her hair or smiled at him every chance she got.

He smiled at her too, but after several minutes she gave up, thinking he wasn't interested so she decided to look for another victim. Her main objective in the bar was to find someone nice to talk to, flirt a little and see what could happen later… she didn't have much problem with that, or at least that's what she was trying to prove to herself.

She looked around, searching for another handsome guy who seemed trustworthy and there were a few but suddenly a male voice interrupted her.

"Excuse me, may I sit down here?" the lad she was flirting with finally approached and as soon as Susanna recognized him she put on a big grin on her face.

"Of course! I thought you were with someone…"

"I'm with a couple friends but female company is definitely better" he smile and two dimples appeared on his cheeks "I'm Andrew"

"Nice to meet you, Andrew. My name is Susanna" she shook his hand and they started talking.

They flirted a lot and he easily made her laugh. It had been a while since she didn't talk like that with someone; in a casual and careless way, without demons, runes, fallen angels or dark rituals coming up as the main subject, so Andrew's presence was refreshing Besides, she enjoyed being the center of that handsome man's his attention.

During that moment, she didn't care if he was a womanizer who dated a different girl every weekend or if he was just looking for a one night stand. She wasn't such a good girl herself, since she had already murdered three people in cold blood. Everyone had their own masks. It was inevitable, and yet at least for one night, Susanna didn't care.

They kept talking for a while, until in the other side of the bar someone picked up the girl's attention. It was a man dressed in black, with tight black trousers and a simple shirt with the two top buttons undone, giving him an adequate look for the ar. He was aware of his good looks and of course, the girls around him noticed it. Nevertheless, when his eyes met Susanna's a cynic smile appeared on his face.

"It can't be…" she said in a whisper.

"What did you say?" asked Andrew with confusion.

"Oh, nothing… I though I saw someone I know…." She said a little annoyed. She had been clear when she told Sebastian to take the night off and it couldn't be a coincidence that he was there, staring at her.

"Really?" the young man turned around "where?"

"right there, in the back…. But I'm not so sure" she became serious "would you excuse me for a moment?... I'll be right back, I'll just go to the loo" Andrew nodded and then he followed her with his eyes as she passed right next to him. He was sure he would get lucky, it was just a matter of time.

Meanwhile, Susanna headed towards the restroom, deadly glaring at Sebastian, who hurried to approach her and intercept her before she entered the bathroom.

"Didn't you understand me when I said that you had to take the night off?" she tried to sound as arrogant as she could.

"Of course, Milady. And I appreciate you giving me the night, so I thought about coming to this bar. Isn't it curious? Perhaps we are more alike than you think" he had a mischievous smile and his eyes were flirty "it must be destiny"

"Oh, please… just don't interfere. It's an order" and without letting him answer she entered the bathroom and closed the door on his face.

When she went back to her seat, Andrew was waiting for her and they continued talking, but this tie the music was louder and that could only mean one thing: the nightclub atmosphere had just started.

The lad took the opportunity to get closer to her, speaking to her ear.

"Let me invite you another drink" he slowly caressed her hand and showed her a flirty smile.

"Alright…" she softly grabbed his neck so he would get closer while her eyes looked at Sebastian happily chatting with two girls "…but only if you let me invite you somewhere else later"

"Wherever you want to go" hi smiled and called the waiter to order another round.

About an hour later, Susanna was still talking with Andrew. They were getting closer and closer, with the excuse of the music being too loud, but she knew very well what she was doing and she didn't dislike the guy caressing her back once in a while. Besides, she encouraged him to do it while she laughed with his comments, but her eyes constantly looked at the table where Sebastian was sitting with two girls who were evidently interested in him.

"So… you said you wanted to go somewhere else" he casually said.

"Yes I did…" she answered after seeing Sebastian raising his glass, pretending to drink and toasting with her in the distance, barely showing his demon eyes "shall we go?" she looked at his companion in the eyes and smiled.

"Let's go" he turned around looking for one of his friend and making a movement so he would give him the car keys but she stopped him.

"Don't worry, I've got my car" she winked and then walked towards the exit while taking his hand.

Once they were outside the bar she handed the valet parking a small ticket and in a matter of minutes a beautiful blue Bentley appeared in front of them. She walked towards the driver's seat, smiling with satisfaction after seeing Andrew's amazed look.

"Wow… is this really yours?"

"A small birthday gift" there was some shamelessness in her voice and then she entered the car, waiting for him to do the same "ready?"

"Yes… where are we going?"

"You'll see" and then she accelerated and headed to AstraZeneca's new building "let's say it's a place where no one will interrupt us"

A few minutes later they arrived to their destiny and after leaving the car in the parking lot they used the elevator to go to the 18th floor. Andrew seemed to be enjoying the situation and looked around. The building was empty and there were only a few guards who greeted Susanna with formality and before he asked something she explained.

"It's… my father's office. It's a new place, so no one will bother us"

"I see… what kind of place is this?"

"Just offices. They're brand new and they're still bringing the furniture and so on… except for this…" suddenly the elevator door opened and right I front of their eyes a beautiful office with a nice desk and mahogany bookcases appeared. In front of the bookcases, black leather furniture was set and the walls were decorated with classic paintings. It was an elegant place and when Susanna turned on the lights the office looked even bigger. There was a minibar in the back and next to it a balcony with a great view of London at night.

The wide windows were polarized and that gave the impression of being isolated. Very convenient for their intentions.

"I suppose this is your father's office…"

"Yeah, you could say that…" he smiled and looked at the carpet, and suddenly Andrew got closer to the window "beautiful view, isn't it?"

"Indeed…" he looked at her as she stood next to him "I'm glad I came here with you"

"Oh really? How much?" Susanna's eyes were playful and she got closer to him.

"Let's say that…" he grabbed her waist and brought her even closer, his right hand on her lower back and the other one playing with her blouse "…a lot…"

And without hesitation he kissed her in a sensual way and she touched his chest, pushing him towards one of the couches. The biggest one, with enough space to do what she had I mind and when they bumped into the edge, Andrew sat down, waiting for her to do the same but instead, she sat on his lap, kissing him again.

Andrew took the opportunity to caress her back and touch her bottom while she softly moaned. She was willing to do it, despite of feeling strange while she kissed him. Then she separated from him and her eyes showed some doubt, which he noticed right away.

"Are you ok?"

But actually, she wasn't. She felt something unpleasant while kissing him and suddenly the idea of not kissing anyone she didn't have feelings for crossed her mind, but that thought was interrupted by a pleasant sensation and a sigh leaving her lips after noticing Andrew's lips on her sensitive skin. She moaned as quiet as she could, closing her eyes and letting herself go. He continued going down with his mouth from Susanna's neck towards her shoulder while unbuttoning her blouse.

She felt a brief intoxication for an instant, caused by the alcohol she drank and the contact of his fingers on her now uncovered skin gave her pleasure. Susanna started to unbutton the guy's shirt, but when she started with the third one he caressed her legs and the image of Sebastian appeared in her mind.

His butler's smiling and charming face remained in her head for several seconds and the memories of that night in Sweden were too much for her.

Andrew was ready to undo her bra when she stood up and interrupted him, leaving the young man with a confused expression which made her feel a little guilty.

"I…. I'm sorry but…"

"I thought you wanted this as well…" and then he laughed a little "it was too easy to be true…" he sighed and then buttoned his shirt again.

"I thought so too but…" then she became quite serious "I think you should leave"

"Alright… see you, then" he stood up and headed towards the elevator.

When the door closed behind him, Susanna put on her shirt again and clenched her fists and jaw in frustration.

She felt disappointed and wanted to cry. She was sure she could do it, but in the end… she couldn't and suppressed her tears in her eyes. She walked towards the minibar and took a bottle of whiskey and took two sips, trying to wash her mouth and lips from that guy's kisses; empty and lying kisses that only tried to disguise her reality. Then she felt nausea.

She looked at the security camera's monitor and saw how Andrew left the building. A few moments passed and Susanna felt a presence getting closer and her hands getting sweaty.

"It is pointless to deny it" a male voice came from behind her; soft and deep in her ears. It was the same voice she'd heard every day during the past months. The same one she was already used to and missed when it was not around. But, was she ready to confront it? "it seems like you don't want to believe me… but…" she felt him getting closer "would you be so kind to tell me what happened here a few minutes ago, while you were forcing yourself to kiss that boy?... putting a big effort on touching him, struggling with not feeling disgusted?"

"Stop" she walked away from him and stood in front of the window, trying to distract herself with the city lights but he was immediately next to her, this time speaking with informality and another tone.

"It wasn't him who you wanted to kiss" it wasn't the butler, but the demon who wanted to approach her and convince her about something she had been avoiding "and right before you took off his clothes… you stopped because he wasn't the one you desire" he softly but firmly took her arm, making her turn to face him. His bright and demonic eyes staring at her, trapping her inside his charming spell "what are you afraid of...?"

"You…" he coldly said, trying to hide her emotions, so overwhelming they were about to explode and then he took one of her hair bangs and kissed it, only to put it back behind her ear "I can't…"

"Trust me?" he softly laughed and got closer to her, holding her waist with one hand and touching her cheek with the other. He wasn't wearing gloves and he felt Susanna's warmth right after the contact with his fingers "but you do… you've put your trust in me for a long time now and although I've managed to earn it, you did it by your own volition. I also know you have feelings for me… I've spent many years observing human behavior to reckon it"

"You have no idea what… you are a demon!"

"And that's your reason to believe my intentions aren't good? Good and evil are relative, you should already know that. But you must know, even though I'm the incarnation of evil for human paradigms; a being who only wants to cause harm for its own selfish motives, there is only one thing right about such logic…" he remained silent while she looked at him with intrigue "my motives are, indeed, selfish… you are very aware from the beginning that I desire your soul, but I also want you and all of yourself; your mortality and immortality… with me"

"Sebastian…"

"You are very brave, Susanna. That's part of what I like about you. But the real question is… when are you going to accept your feelings for me?" and then he slowly got even closer to her, looking at the girl's lips with those pink and bright eyes, looking directly at his prey, but there was something else in there. Something she'd seen a couple times before. And she wasn't scared of it; on the contrary, it made her feel comforted and at the same time it made her loose her mind. It was just a matter of getting a little closer so that torture of wanting him and not being able to have him stopped. She was tired of fighting the same battle every day. She knew it would all be over sooner or later but… had the time come?

Right in that same moment, in a nearby building's roof someone was watching. He had been there for several minutes. Enough to know what was going on between Susanna and Sebastian, despite not being able to listen what they were saying.

The man wore an impeccable black suit and his face showed how shocked and miserable he was because of what he just witnessed. His green eyes behind the glasses he adjusted compulsively were disappointed as he held his death scythe with all his strength, trying to control his emotions.

An instant later, William didn't feel capable of continuing looking at such scene, so he span his weapon with incredible ability and turned around, stepping forward and jumping from the building, only to suddenly disappear and head to the reaper dimension.

Sebastian's lips were almost touching Susanna's, but he didn't move. She would be the one taking that final step. The one that would change things forever. He had patience with her, managed to earn her trust and sympathy, and no even then, when he was so close to achieving his goal, he rushed things: he didn't move and he kept waiting for her response. So close he could taste her, almost his to take her… and then she looked at his lips and relaxed, letting her arms to move by their own will as if they had life of their own and for the last time she felt the possible salvation of her soul going away, this time to never return.

Susanna noticed when all the strength left her legs but Sebastian's arms held her firmly and wouldn't let her fall. A chill went down her spine and then she closed the distance between them and kissed him with all the yearning she kept all these time.

That first kiss was soft and smooth. The demon's lips transmitted her warmth. Something very different from the coldness she imagined. How could darkness be so homelike?

The contact with his lips wasn't brusque like she anticipated, but slowly became more intense while they moved with restrained urgency. He did his best to control himself and not letting himself go. He was good at it; he had centuries of experience, but this was different. New.

Susanna tasted just like the pure essence of her soul and her lips kept the flavor of the whiskey she just drank. A combination he'd never had before and that considered fascinating.

The kiss became more intense and after he sided her head a little and held her a little tighter in his arms, careful enough to not break her human fragility, he kissed her again with more effusiveness, enjoying even more the first moments of his victory; his great longing.

She wasn't completely his, and that's how he liked it. All the time he waited was worth it, it made the whole experience more pleasant and she felt the heavy burden disappearing from her shoulder. Denying it for so long made her exhausted and her feelings were overflowing.

And with that kiss, the night ended for both of them, with the moon as the only witness of what just happened.

 _ **Author's notes.**_

 _ **Hi! So… it finally happened! I know it took long, but that only made it even more exciting…I hope… Sebastian didn't have it easy, and that what made totally worth it… and there's more to come! This chapter was quite romantic, the following ones will be very intense, so get ready! This story will get even more exciting!**_

 _ **By the way, the poems used in this chapter were originally "Agua sexual" by Pablo Neruda and "A Leonor" by Amado Nervo. Of these two, I only found "agua sexual" translated in English, so I left it as it was, but for the second one, I replaced wit with Lovely Lady of my memory by Oscar Wilde. I didn't want to translate "A Leonor" because I thought it would lose its true meaning and aesthetics, so I decided to use one that was originally written in English.**_

 _ **See you next chapter!**_


	36. Longed for a long time (William)

**Chapter 29. Reaper route.**

 **What they longed for a long time.**

The next day, Mr. Haggard took Susanna to Hyde Park, exactly at 6 o'clock in the afternoon. Early in the morning Susanna received a message from William informing her he arranged his schedule so he could leave early and met her there and inspect the place. She went out the car after seeing the reapers waiting for her in the main entrance, and then she told the driver that she would call him to pick her up.

She approached the man with the green and penetrating eyes who, unlike other days, seemed less formal. Perhaps because he was holding his jacket over his shoulder, letting see the vest that combined with his suit. She walked with security, although deep inside she was a little ashamed because of her behavior the day before.

"Did I keep you waiting?"

"No. I got here a few minutes sooner to be here when you arrived **"** his face seemed serene but there was a spark of joy in his eyes.

"English punctuality" she smiled and looked around "so… where do we start?"

"Hyde Park is a large place. I suggest we start walking" but before he took the first step he accommodated his glasses and pointed with a serious tone "we are looking for some kind if underground entrance, so we need to be alert. It could be anywhere"

Indeed, the place was quite big and seemed very crowded, but he had a peculiar vibe that made Susanna forget about the people and focus on looking for a tunnel or secret entrance. The gardens had an intense green color and despite the hour, the weather was warm, ideal for a picnic next to one of the fountains or the small lake.

It was a beautiful place, full of stories and anecdotes, although she was sure it looked more mystic at night, but before she could imagine it, William took her out of her thoughts.

"Is this the first time you come here?" he barely looked at her, he was focused on the search but at the same time he was expectant towards the girl's attitude. He knew the incident of the day before would have made her put her guard up and he wasn't so sure about how he should behave or if it was adequate to bring up the topic.

"Yes…" she looked around and for an instant that seemed too short, she laid her eyes on the reaper "I always wanted to come here but I didn't have the time to do it. You know, because of all those things I… prefer not mentioning to not ruin the afternoon"

Yes, she was referring to her contract with Sebastian and the whole situation. Despite knowing she was there as one of the things they had to do to stop the fallen angel summoning, she preferred to ignore it and limit herself to look for a tunnel while enjoying William's company.

"I see" he made a pause and continued walking "this is a unique place in London. It's been here since 1637 and nowadays is famous, among other things, for Speaker's Corner, an area for open-air public speaking, debate and discussion. Speakers come here often"

"Really? Anyone can come here?"

"As long as the speech is not considered against the law" he adjusted his glasses "there are some talented speakers once in a while"

"Do you come here often?"

"No, I've only been here a couple times, but I've seen it in several cinematic records" Susanna couldn't hide her laugh after considering the many things William might have seen through those records.

"What's so funny?" he seemed confused.

"Nothing, it's just that… I find it rather interesting that you know so many things but you haven't actually witnessed them first hand. It's like you are telling the synopsis of a movie"

"That is a very peculiar way to describe it…" he arched an eyebrow, but he liked seeing her laughing.

They kept walking in the park, still not finding any underground entrance and little by little the park seemed more crowded. There was a lot of people walking around and heading towards a particular direction.

"What's over there?" she tried to see why they were gathering.

"Nothing special…" William looked around, trying to find something that could tell him what was that about "perhaps some kind of rally or… social movement"

"I think… it's nothing so serious" she looked at him with skepticism after reading an add "it looks like there will be a concert"

"Oh… I didn't remember such events were held here"

"No doubt about it… I've already noticed music isn't your strong point **…** " Susanna spoke with a serious tone and William looked at her very surprised, even a little offended, until she started to laugh and touched his arm in a casual way "I'm joking, Will! Don't take things so seriously… besides…" she read the add again "it's going to be a good concert, is Ed Sheeran!... and I think destiny wants us to listen to it" she winked "it starts in half an hour"

"Do you want to go?" his attitude changed and although he seemed solemn, there was a lot of kindness on his voice and empathy on his eyes.

"Why don't we continue with our job and then we listen to the concert somewhere nearby?"

"I'd like that" a tiny smile appeared on the corner of his mouth and he continued walking with Susanna.

The place where the concert would be held was, of course, discarded to look for secret entrances and, truth to be told, the park map didn't show any possibilities of having such access, especially because it was a green area and it was too crowded, so it was very unlikely that Demian Janssens-Guillot decided to use the park as an entrance for the tunnels.

They were both aware of that, but none of them said anything about it, hoping they could continue with their walk; something that, in other circumstances wouldn't be possible because they would have been interrupted or bothered, so they made the best of it, talking and enjoying their company.

He was fascinated with Susanna's anecdotes, telling him about her life before going to the UK, the impressions she had after that and how she used to spend her free time before all that happened. He had genuine curiosity to know more about her and kept asking about her home country, starting to imagine how things might have been if he had met her under different circumstances.

Slowly, the sun set and the place was less and less crowded; they were in back in their homes or in the concert. Whatever the reason, the atmosphere between Susanna and William changed and then the reaper said.

"Listen, Susanna… a few days ago I received your father's cinematic record. It was sent from your county's office and, being in charge of the investigation about the fallen angel, the final linkage and… you… I have to make a report about the materials related"

"Oh…" the girl's expression became serious, as if her feet were brought back to earth after being flying for a long while and the landing was abrupt.

"I…" he looked at the floor and then directly to the girl's eyes "archived it as soon as I had it in my hands. I didn't analyze it… I couldn't do it…."

It seemed as if he was about to say something, but the words were trapped on the back of his throat and she understood why. The way he was looking at her said it all and she was surprised, feeling a little sad, thinking it was her father's life story but then a spark of curiosity hit her: why would William do such omission? Still, most of all, she felt grateful with him.

Examining her father's cinematic record was part of his job and he didn't do it. She knew how diligent and strict the man was regarding his job, and yet he didn't do it. Why?

"Why didn't you do it?"

"I didn't consider it correct" his voice was dry "not when I'm aware you'd be part of it and that… there might be private situations you'd prefer I didn't see" he explained, intentionally avoiding how tempting it had been for him. Not because it was part of his job; he wanted to know more about her, about her past and how she became the woman she was now. What kind of childhood she had and most of all, the moments of joy in her life, but he preferred to listen to her voice telling him about it, just like she did minutes before.

There was silence for an instant and then she touched his shoulder, firmly and tenderly caressing it, then she looked at him with tears in her eyes, telling him much more than words could ever do.

"Thank you, I really appreciate it. It means a lot to me" he was speechless again.

There was silence again and they both kept walking. The lights in the park were already on and people talking could be heard in the distance, along with the water of the fountains. The absence of words, far from being uncomfortable, invited them to think about their situations. It was something completely new for him. He'd never felt the way he did when he was next to someone before, much less with a woman and suddenly he understood many images on the cinematic records he'd seen before; memories that shared the same feeling, regardless the century or the year. That longing to spend time with Susanna and the impulse to touch her… a desire he constantly supressed. He finally understood what being in love meant. And yet, he didn't know what to do about it.

It would have been easier in another time… perhaps one or two hundred years earlier. A polite note informing her about his intentions to court her would have been enough, or perhaps a series of casual meetings and previously planned walks in the park along with a chaperone… yes, that might have been easier for him, but it would have also taken from him the opportunity to get to know her in a deeper level or spend time alone with her, despite leaving him in a situation he was completely clueless. Any action he'd try to imitate from a cinematic records would be alien for him, it just wouldn't be him at all.

The reaper was unsure about what to do when Susanna interrupted him with a cheerful voice.

"The concert is about to start!" he pointed at the stage.

"You're right… why don't we sit down?" he looked at a metal bench a few meters away. She nodded and while they approached the bench a guitar was heard in the distance "the sound is great" said William a little surprised.

"I think we'll enjoy the concert even more from here" she smiled again.

None of them spoke for the next three songs. It was almost a perfect moment and words weren't needed while they enjoyed their mutual closeness. Besides, Ed Sheeran's music was slow and calm, ideal to relax and spend a while alone.

"I'm really sorry for what happened yesterday…" she broke the silence. It was something she needed to get out her system, but it didn't make it easier.

"It's in the past, there's no point on dueling on it" his eyes kept looking at the pond in front of them and she felt grateful he did, because she was still ashamed for her reaction, but when she noticed his attitude she decided to talk about something more cheerful.

"Which reminds me… yesterday's pigeon behaved rather odd" she casually said and William looked at her as if he'd just remembered something.

"So you noticed…" his tone was serious "that pigeon is… a very particular case" she looked at him expectantly "we reapers have offices around the world. Each one with its own departments and personnel, but sometimes there are transfers. That pigeon was sent from our office in Madrid. It was named _Chema_ back in Spain" Susanna was very surprised and raised her eyebrows "yes, it is not something that occurs often, but that's what happened in this case. It just came in a couple months ago and with a very particular behavior…"

"What do you mean?" suddenly the reaper got tense and looked away, as if it was something he wasn't too comfortable to say.

" _Chema_ thinks it's a duck…" there was silence for an instant and then Susanna laughed very loud "I'm being completely serious" he looked at her as if he was offended.

"I just can't!" she kept laughing and the tension abandoned William's body, as he barely smiled. He liked seeing her laughing like that, so natural… so her… he found it refreshing and pleasant.

About an hour and a half later the music stopped. The concert was great. The singer was excellent and everything was even better with their mutual company, and then Susanna said.

"Say…" there was a mischievous loo in her eyes "all those gifts I've absorbed, along with my family's, made me develop certain abilities" William listened carefully "for example clairvoyance and…"

"Susanna…"he adjusted his glasses solemnly and said "I shall remind you those gifts are passed through generations but they cannot be used by female members of…"

"I bet I can read your hand"

"I beg your pardon?" he was taken aback.

"I do, I can read your hand" and then she took his left hand; she needed an excuse to hold his hand "well... I can't do this with your glove on the way" she complained and then he took it off "alright, it has to be the left hand because it shows your present and your future. This line in here talks about your life…"

She pointed at the center of his palm, feeling the back of his hand with her own. His temperature was lower than hers and by then, Susanna was already conscious of it, but the first contact always surprised her. As for him, he enjoyed feeling her warm skin touching his, and despite the years and centuries of practice, he made a huge effort to keep a neutral expression, without showing emotions, but it was hard because Susanna's finger tickled his palm.

"You have a very long life line" all of a sudden she looked at him with worry, noticing that meant he still had many years to reach redemption so she omitted the implications of her comment "this life line is connected with the one of the mind. As expected, it's quite pronounced. That means you are very thoughtful and you put logic before anything else… well, I could have told you that even without reading your hand" she joked "and this line in here is the line of love… let's see if there is something for you in the near future…"

William had all his attention on her, almost fascinated while she explained, enjoying every change in her expression and how her eyes illuminated when she looked at him. It was a new sensation for him and he didn't know what to do with it, but he was delighted with it. When Susanna was done, he remained quiet for a while and then, their eyes met and became too intense. He didn't know how to react so he babbled a little.

"I… I… I've been studying and researching about… spells and invocations. Looking for clues or something that could be helpful to stop the Linkage and… I found something in one of the cinematic records I researched"

"What did you find?" she was very interested on what he was saying.

"To be honest, nothing too useful, but…" he lowered his gaze for an instant and then looked at her again with enthusiasm to share certain thing he did find "would you believe me if I told you I can show you a tiny fragment of the past?"

"The past?" she was surprised and many ideas crossed her mind "like a movie?"

"Not exactly" his gesture became serious "I can't show you a cinematic record" then the adjusted his glasses "that would be against the rules, and not only that… there's a penalty for such misbehavior, not to mention the countless piles of paperwork and…" suddenly he noticed he was missing the point "well… I can show you a memory"

"Of yours?" he nodded while looking at her with a very particular expression in his eyes, something she could only describe as hope "Will… I'd love that!" she smiled. She was aware of what it meant.

Susanna knew he didn't remember much about his mortal life. Perhaps he'd chosen to forget, or it might have been part of becoming a reaper, so she though the few memories that were left must be incredibly valuable, and the fact that he decided to share such thing with her moved her greatly.

"Alright. Close your eyes" William's voice was calm "take a deep breath" he instructed her and waited for her to be relax, and then he put his left hand on Susanna's forehead.

For a brief instant she felt the touch of his cold skin, but before she could react she felt dizzy, as if there was a swirl around her and the sensation of falling into the abyss invaded her. She'd felt that before when Sebastian showed her the Serafer family's past. She remembered the overanxiety she felt but William's voice calmed her immediately.

"Don't be afraid. What you are feeling right now is your mind traveling to another dimension. The dizziness is your conscience leaving your physical body, but worry not, I won't let anything happen to you. You and I are still sitting in Hyde Park, it's just your mind going somewhere else.

"…I understand… I've been here before" she explained.

"Oh…" there was some disappointment on his voice and he imagined the circumstances where she could have done that, but he stopped such thought immediately. What he was about to do required a lot of concentration "just relax, the sensation will go away soon and then you'll see what I want to show you"

Susanna was surrounded by a deep darkness where she couldn't even see her own body, but she felt safe and accompanied. William didn't seem to be inside her mind, like Sebastian did, but at the same time it could limit them a little because only he could communicate verbally.

The discomfort sensation went away pretty fast and then she saw what seemed to be a dry tree. Slowly, the image became clearer and more trees appeared on the horizon. The sky was cloudy and there seemed to be ice on the sides of the road she saw down her feet. There weren't houses nearby but when she looked to the right she could see a small river. Everything seemed so clear she could even distinguish the thin ice forming on the water.

She walked along the road and looked at the sky and then she felt her left hand was holding what appeared to be a suitcase. Susanna wanted to knows what it was but her head didn't seem to respond to her orders and then she felt a soft full on her right arm. She turned to see what it was and saw a pretty girl, no more than sixteen years old, wearing a yellow dress and a green cape that covered from the cold weather. Shen she felt her a smile forming in her face and realized she was seeing all from William's perspective.

The young girl's brown hair was covered by the cape she wore but a few bangs could be seen; they framed the freckles in her face. Her light blue eyes seemed upset, but her expression told differently, and then she spoke.

"Hurry up, William! I want to be home before the sun sets and it gets colder… I know you have a weird fixation with staying outside in the cold for a long time, but I don't, so you better take me home as fast as you can"

"What's the Hurry, Natalie? Are you expecting someone?" Susanna felt another smile appearing on her lips… William's lips.

"Don't be silly, it's just that I don't like this time of the year. It's too cold and it will snow soon" the girl looked at the sky and then at the ice in the river.

"But winter is a beautiful season. Besides… this could be the last one we spend together" he felt a lump in his throat he didn't show it.

"What do you mean?" the girl's expression showed how surprised she was to hear such comment.

"Well, it's to be expected. Next year you'll turn seventeen and it's the ideal age for a girl like you to get married. Besides, during the past two weeks Edward Denton asked be about you at least four times, not to mention the often visits of the Linnington boy.

"Do you think our father will consent so easily?"

"He might do it, once he notices the way you look at Edward…." He smiled again and noticed the blush on the girl's cheeks.

"Stop teasing me, or I'll tell mom"

"I'm sorry, little sister, but I won't stop until you tell me what has winter done to you so you hate it so much. It's a beautiful season and…"

"Cold!"

"Indeed, but it could be nice despite all this cold. You only have to look at it in a different way. How about some music?"

"Music? What are you talking about?" the girl seemed confused and he moved away a few steps to get closer to a fence on the side of the road. Then he put down the suitcase. It was a violin case.

William opened it and took the instrument and the arch, noticing the way she looked at him, still confused. Then he looked around and pointed at the sky, where a grey cloud approached them, bringing a snow storm.

"Yes, it will be very cold, the streets will be all covered in snow and this road we are walking will disappear, making it impossible for the horses to pass by. We will probably spend the whole season locked up inside the house, next to the fireplace drinking tea or some beverages with liquor to keep us warm. The whole family will be reunited while the rivers slowly freeze. The trees will be the only witnesses and the snow will change the landscape for a couple months. It's just as if all the action takes place outside the house and we could only see it from our windows"

"Unless you want to freeze" she smiled and got a little closer "why did you take out your violin?"

"I want you to imagine all I've just said while I play something"

The girl nodded and William fixed his dark velvet cloak to play the instrument, his dark blue jacket was now showing. It was just like Susanna had seen on 18th century movies, but before she could think about the year whey were in, she got distracted with the movement he made to take off his leather gloves, showing his naked hands… the same hand she had seen only a few time before.

Susanna was almost hypnotized by the precise movements he made when he was about to play the violin.

William's gaze was set on the strings and with an agile movement his right arm started to move the arch to play the first notes. At first it was a soft sound, repetitive and a little monotone, but then the intensity increased and she recognized the melody: it was Vivaldi's winter, played with great ability by the young man, whose only feature she could see were his arms and hands.

Sharing his memory, she felt an intense cold on his skin, as well as the strings under his fingertips, accelerating the rhythm on the exact moment to play the melody. His heart beat fast and when he looked at his little sister, she had her eyes closed, trying to imagine the landscape he just described.

When the music accelerated again, he closed his own eyes for a brief moment, imagining the water stopping its course to become ice and then he opened his eyes again to look around: the first snow flakes were falling and the road slowly became white. Another smile appeared in his lips and when he played the last couple notes he felt the air leaving his lungs, as if he'd just reached the song's climax and the vibrato made him feel overwhelmed.

William blinked a couple times to set his gaze on his sister and then everything became blurry. When Susanna opened her eyes she found herself in Hyde Park, with the reaper's green eyes looking at her, expectantly waiting for her reaction.

She seemed a little lost at first, as well as dizzy, so William covered her with his jacket and after a moment she seemed to be better, back to reality. They both looked at each other for a moment, until Susanna spoke.

"That was… extraordinary" she didn't know what else to say. It seemed to be a very important memory for him, and sharing it with her made William's actions even more special "I didn't know you could play the violin"

"I don't know how to do it anymore" he looked down and his shoulders got a little tense "but apparently I was pretty good on my past life. I only have a few memories of my life as human" his voice was nostalgic, but his face remained neutral.

"Thank you" she smiled and felt the impulse to take his hand, but she didn't. Perhaps because she was afraid of his reaction or because she was embarrassed, so she limited to look at him with tenderness "I really enjoyed the experience. Besides, Vivaldi's winter is one of my favorites"

"I know…" he shyly smiled and then looked at the night sky, hoping to see the stars above them.

Minutes later, Susanna called Mr. Haggard so he could pick her up and go back home, but not before talking with William about having a meeting the next day to make the plan and stop Demian.

The three reapers met with Susanna and Sebastian the next day and from the moment they put a foot inside the house they noticed a strange vibe between the girl and her butler. She was ignoring him as much as she could while he tried to get her attention. None of them said anything about it, although William new very well why she behaved like that.

Once they were in the studio, Ronald unrolled the city map and put in on the desk. The underground tunnels were previously marked by the reaper, who was anxiously waiting for his boss to start explaining, but William seemed to be having a conversation with Susanna. It wasn't until Sebastian discreetly cleared his throat that they focused on the meeting.

"Will, could you please tell us what you found?" Susanna asked.

"According to our observations, it looks like the Stamford Bridge basement is connected to the Subway. Ronald confirmed it yesterday" he looked at the blond lad next to him, letting him know it was his turn to speak.

"A few weeks ago some maintenance works were done in the basement and quite conveniently the auxiliary irrigation system was connected to a pipe right next to the subway. That means there is a tunnel that goes right below the stadium and which could be used to get there. That can't be coincidence" then he pointed at the map "the ritual to bring the fallen angel has to be done near the stadium because it is its primary energy source"

"Are you saying they'll use the subway to get there?" Sebastian asked to confirm his suspicious.

"We don't really know the details about the ritual or how long does it take to perform it, but the day when it'll be performed will be the matchday so we need to be ready to attack and ruin his plans" Grell smiled with PICARDÍA-. He was ready to crash Demian's plans.

"What we need are two access and exit routes" William looked at the girl "yesterday, Susanna and I went to Hyde Park, looking for possible entrances, but… we couldn't find anything. The same thing happened in the school. No traces of any underground entrances, which leaves us with less options"

"I suggest we use these two routes" Ronald pointed at the map with his index finger and traced the tunnels he marked "there's an entrance in the subway and another one in Brompton cemetery. They both have an intersection with the tunnel that leads to the stadium"

"I see… and how big are those tunnels?" the girl crossed her arms, very focused looking at the reaper.

"They're quite wide. Three or four people can easily walk there and those pipes need maintenance once every few months. They need machinery for that, so they're big enough for a truck to pass through.

"Ronald's right and that's is enough reason to assume the ritual will take place there. I suggest we use both tunnels to enter" William explained with a serious expression "we should split in three parties. One that goes through the subway, another through the cemetery and another in the stadium. That way we would have presence in all the important spots, and that man will not scape"

"Sounds good. I volunteer to go to the stadium and…" she started to speak but William and Sebastian's alarmed voices interrupted her.

"Don't even think about it!"

"Absolutely not!..." both of them looked at each other for a second and then William explained "in case we cannot stop the ritual, everyone in that stadium could die and their souls will be used as sacrifices" then he looked at her in the eyes like never before; with a cold authority that served him as a mask for his mortification after considering she could die "I can't let you throw your life away. You are too important for…" he looked away to hide what he was trying very hard not to say "… to stop the Linkage and we can't take any risks"

"Will…" Susanna didn't know what to say. She was shocked for what she just heard.

"That's true, Milady. I cannot let you risk your life like that either" the demon seemed more serious than ever.

"So… you're letting me out of this?"

"No…" William sighed "it is necessary that you come with us. Only you can stop this whole thing, so I only ask you not to go to the stadium"

"…I understand" she felt guilty for an instant. She felt bad because she couldn't do anything else, aware that a human couldn't stand a chance against a fallen angel.

"I suggest that Ronald goes to the stadium. He's already been there and knows the exact place of the tunnel"

"Well then… Sebastian, take care of the tickets for the game" the butler nodded "now we just need to split and make a plan" Susanna sat in the desk's chair and a gloomy look appeared in her face.

The finished tracing the plan two hours later, more or less. They discussed different ways of stopping the ritual and when the meeting was over they all had an idea of how to solve the whole thing and what would be their roles.

The day before the match, and the supposed summoning of the fallen angel, Susanna was walking in the garden. She decided to spend the day calm, without any worries, since it might be her last chance to do it. She avoided thinking about the contract she had with the demon and that it was about to finish and distracted herself with anything around her.

She wasn't mad at Sebastian anymore, but she was still keeping her distance and most of all, she tried to avoid any talk about the contract, so she ordered him to prepare her favorite food and a few cocktails for the afternoon and then sent him to do some AstraZeneca's paperwork; after all, she needed to leave everything ready for her successor in case she was gone.

She spent the afternoon enjoying the beautiful garden and the image of the colorful flowers in it and once the sun set, she walked nearby the pond, thoughtful. The moon was dazzling and shiny, inviting her to remain calm as she looked at it. There was something mystic on the way it looked that night, gray and attractive in Susanna's eyes, and then she suddenly felt a familiar presence close and she turned, very surprised to see the man standing in the other side of the pond.

"William, I didn't expect to see you here today"

"Good evening, Susanna…" the formality of his voice created the impression of him being distant while he adjusted his spectacles "the higher ups decided I shouldn't do overtime today, considering our activities for tomorrow… so they didn't care if the piles of paperwork are still accumulating and they sent me home" he said with antipathy and then he walked towards her "but before going home, I wanted to see how you were"

"Thanks" she smiled as she stood next to him in the middle of the little bridge that crossed the pond. She knew the reaper was exaggeratedly diligent, but this time his displease wasn't due to his work; doing his job kept him distracted from the threat they faced and it was also a shield to hide from his worries and anxiety.

"I supposed you'd feel somehow uneasy"

"Just a little" she smiled to herself, comforted because she knew she wasn't the only one feeling it "but this is something I have to do and it's not time to doubt. Besides, I have to honor my part of the deal" William became immediately tense and his gesture became bitter, showing his disapproval. That was the last thing he wanted to think about in that moment and then he started to feel fatigued.

"I would like to avoid anything related to that… abomination" he said that last thing with disgust.

"You're right, I wouldn't want you to leave the stress of your work only to start thinking about… displeasing stuff" she seemed to be having fun with the reaper's reactions, who was unconsciously easy to read.

"I would appreciate it" he relaxed a little as he leaned forward on the bridge handrail, wearing a meditative expression. He wondered what kind of ritual they would witness the next day, knowing the difficulties wouldn't be few and everyone's life would be endangered.

"Come on, William, you ought to relax a little. You are no longer in the office and the night is quite pretty. Ignore the pending work for a moment, along with everything that could go wrong tomorrow. After all, if you go back to the office they'll send you home again. Tomorrow is an important day, but we are living in this moment" they both looked at the sky but he remained as serious as always. His mind was processing too many things at the same time and Susanna sighed, trying to appear annoyed "I guess I'll have to think about something that loosens you…" she said with a playful smile he didn't see because he was observing the moon reflex in the water, trying to empty his head from the tornado of thoughts in his mind.

He was aware of hos decisive the next day could be, not only for them, but for the rest of the universe as well… even if they ignored it. The plan was already been reviewed many times, but he couldn't help but thinking about all the things that could go wrong and the consequences it might bring.

Not to mention his worried about Susanna's future and the continuous impulse of being close to her. Meanwhile, the girl got slowly closer to him with the firm intention of giving him a friendly kiss on the cheek, but after feeling her closeness, William turned to look at her and she ended up kissing the corner of his mouth.

She blushed immediately and her eyes wide opened. William's pupils dilated on his green eyes but he didn't move an inch. He looked at her closely, studying her face like he'd never done it before, keeping his almost overwhelming seriousness. Meanwhile, Susanna expected him to move away or at least a reproach, but none of that happened and her surprise was even bigger when she notices the reaper's eyes seemed brighter than usual when they looked at her lips. She traced his face with her gaze, wondering what would happen next and couldn't help but thinking he seemed more relaxed. His mind was now somewhere else.

At least she achieved her goal, but now he was getting closer, without taking his eyes off her lips; he hadn't done it even for an instant and the endless thoughts that bothered him slowly vanished with every passing instant his eyes looked at her… that her lips convinced him of doing what he was about to do. The reaper's soft breathing tickled her cheeks and she smiled when she felt it. Then she closed her eyes and waited for William to close the distance between them, barely touching her lips, as if he was asking for permission and after a tortuous instant that Susanna felt like an eternity, he kissed her.

It was a slow kiss, without any hurries, but deep. Susanna's heart accelerated as she kept kissing him and her right hand wandered around his chest. He managed to take off one of his black gloves and softly caressed her face. Then, little by little he moved away, with a tiny smile drawn on his lips and his gesture became softer.

"I've been meaning to do this for a while now, but…. I just couldn't find the right moment"

"Better late than never… besides, you finally look relaxed"

"You think so? I still feel a little tense" and then he kissed her again.

And so almost two hours passed between discreet kissed and brief caresses, forgetting about what would happen the next day. Some very deserved vacations in the middle of the storm that was coming, but they both enjoyed the moment, feeling more alive than ever, finally doing what they longed for a long time.

 _ **Author's notes.**_

 _ **Hi guys…**_

 _ **Finally, something happened between Will and Susanna! Sorry it took so long, but I needed to build tension and keep things interesting. Also, I think it was good for the character development. I hope you liked it as much as I do. This chapter was a little light… a preparation for what's coming next… muahaha!**_

 _ **So, read you next time!**_


	37. Disappeared (Sebastian)

**Chapter 30. Disappeared. (Sebastian route)**

The match day, Susanna woke up very idly. She had trouble sleeping and she wanted to remain in her bed for a little longer, but the noises Sebastian made while preparing the bath were enough to keep her awake, and it was then, when she got a feeling of unsettlement: after that night, when she kissed the demon, he started to wake her up in the mornings by sweetly talking to her while he played with her hair or caressed her face, seeing how she slowly opened her eyes something that let her know he longed for her closeness, touching her every chance he had.

And yet, that day was different. Sebastian returned to that old custom of stealthily entering her room, turning on the dressed light and bathroom, making enough noises so she would smoothly wake up.

When Susanna opened her eyes, she looked around, as if she was looking for something she didn't find, and then she stood up, a little confused.

"Good morning, Milady. Bath is ready." The butler pointed with a kind smile on his face and a polite attitude, but even though she didn't dislike it, she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

"Morning, Sebastian." She looked down and sighed as she walked towards the bathroom, but right before entering, she heard the door closing and the butler appeared in front of her, whispering.

"Is something wrong? You seem rather thoughtful…" his lips almost touching Susanna's ear and she immediately felt a shiver down her spine "were you expecting me to wake you up in a different way?" laugh could almost be heard in his voice.

"You're such a tease!" she complained as she pushed him and frowned.

"Today is the day." Sebastian smiled "I didn't want to distract you." he caressed her with his right hand and used the other one to take her chin so she would look at him in the eyes.

"So now are you worrying about distracting me? You know very well I would get distracted if you stand in front of me, anyways." She got closer to him and before kissing him, she lowered her head and whispered "besides, the odds are that our contract will be completed by tomorrow…"

"You shouldn't think about that now" then he kissed her with calm and the girl's mind became blanc for a moment. No matter how many times they kissed, the effed he had on her was always the same "moreover…" he whispered on her ear again, making sure she trembled "I'd like to enjoy this a little longer… and I plan to do it with you. Don't be afraid, we'll be together longer than you think…"

"I should be afraid of you…"

"There's no reason for you to do that." And then he kissed her again, softly and calming her. That's when she knew Sebastian was scheming something… something that wasn't necessarily bad, and she couldn't predict. The demon was full of surprises.

A moment later, she made an effort to distance herself from the demon and continue her way to the bathroom, but before doing it, she felt her butler's hand on hers, stopping her.

"Don't forget this…" he handed her a scarf so she could cover the contract mark.

"…Thanks…" she said after looking at him for a second. She ought to keep the secret of Sebastian's true identity.

A few hours later, three reapers appeared on the Serafer residence front door, ready and willing to start with the plan. Ronald wore a pair of jeans and a Chelsea jersey; an outfit that was similar to the one he used when he first visited the stadium. As for the other two, they wore their usual suits in red and black.

As soon as they were inside, they headed to the first floor studio, where Abby, Fer and Mr. Haggard were already expecting them, along with Susanna, who had instructed Sebastian to welcome them.

"Alright, everyone, take an earpiece, please." Said Fer as he put one of them on his ear "they all have a small button right in the part that goes in the back of the ear. Use it to turn it on as soon as we split. They have a microphone and, of course, everything you say will be heard by the rest of us."

"So, mind your language." Susanna joked, but the message was for the reapers and Sebastian, who were given to say something that could reveal their identities.

"The frequency is set, so it would be really hard to find without an adequate radio or an aerial, since what we're about to do isn't quite… legal…" he looked at everyone with anxiety on his face "we better watch out hay we say."

"It's alright, Fer. If something goes wrong and someone finds out about this, I'll take the blame and Sebastian will take care of hiding you guys and sending you away, so nothing bad happens to you." The girl explained. Ever since the day they went to that warehouse to kill Schneider, Sebastian prepared a set of fake passports and Id's, so the employees could flee the country without a problem. This was a battle Susanna had to fight alone and, although she was grateful for their help, she wouldn't let them be harmed.

"Miss…" all of a sudden, Abby, who remained silent the whole time, spoke with determination and seriousness "whatever happens, we are on your side. We won't leave you alone. We are in debt with your grandfather and with you…"

"Those people shall pay for what they've done to you and your family…" unexpectedly, Fer's gaze became sincere and touching "and I think I speak for the three of us when I say we do this by our own conviction." And then Thomas smiled and put his hand on Susanna's shoulder, who looked at him surprised.

"That's true. Also, there are a few things your grandfather entrusted me to tell you when this is all over, so we better make this plan work." The girl didn't know what to say about it and nodded. An instant later, Sebastian cleared his throat and went ahead to explain the plan, or more exactly, review it.

"Team number 1 will have Ronald, Grell, Mr. Spears, Abby and Fer, who will drive the car to the Stamford Bridge, where Ronald will part ways. Then, the rest of you will leave the car in a nearby place and walk towards the subway. Meanwhile, Mr. Haggard, my lady Susanna and I, will go to Brompton Cemetery and start with the plan. Please, remember we'll abort the plan if any of us sees something suspicious or out of place. We don't want anyone getting hurt, and please, keep in mind we'll certainly face something violent in those tunnels."

"Indeed." William finally spoke "It is also very important that you don't leave your posts… not for anything in the world…" he looked at everyone with severity "not only you'd be risking your life, but everyone else's too. We have an escape route on both sides of the tunnel, and the last thing we need it to be left without a way to get out."

"Any questions?" Susanna asked, feeling anxious and nervous. She wouldn't mind a drink in that moment. No one said anything and she continued "very well, then… let's go and… good luck, everyone."

"Miss…" Fer spoke before she could leave the room "don't forget this… you could need it." He gave her a gun and a holster so she could carry it on her jeans.

She nodded and a tiny smile appeared on her lips. Then, they left the room and stepped out of the house. Each one knew very well what to do, but the risk of Demian's plans being misunderstood was there, and Susanna couldn't stop thinking about the possibility.

Before entering the car, William softly touched Susanna's shoulder to pick her attention; a small touch to let her knew he wanted to speak to her, and perhaps to feel her closeness, at least for a little while. Sebastian immediately noticed it and looked at the reaper with his demon eyes, threatening and ready to attack. The girl knew a persuasive gaze wouldn't be enough to calm him, so she did something more direct.

"Wait for me in the car, Sebastian… I'd like to talk with Mr. Spears for a moment… that's an order." She said with firm voice, which earned her an offended look from her butler.

She waited for a moment until they were all nearby the cars and then turned to look at the reaper, who was still looking at the demon's direction. They didn't lose eye contact for a moment, and something inside Susanna told her that, if it wasn't because there were too many witnesses, some kind of quarrel would have taken place.

The supervisor's gaze radically changed when he looked at the girl. It went from being cold and severe, to a concerned and warm look. He knew the demon's reaction was a sign that something changed; Sebastian had never showed himself so hostile, nor so possessive towards the girl, and that could only be consequence of that kiss he regrettably witnessed. And yet, he still had a small hope that everything was just another trick of the demon.

"Susanna… are you alright?"

"Yeah, I…" she smiled, but he interrupted her.

"There will be many consequences of our plan; it isn't something we should make light of. Any mistake could… end up in chaos and…" he suddenly stopped talking and sighed. The last thing he wanted, was to lecture her, but that attitude was his only shield to hide his feelings "What I mean, is that you should be worried. This could mean a lot of pressure to you and… I just wanted to make sure you are alright." He fixed his glasses.

"Will…" his words took her by surprise and something inside of her softened, along with her expression, and she showed him a sweet smile "I'll be fine. I know this will be hard, but I have you guys to help me out, and that's more than I can ask for." There was a pause "thanks." She smiled again and he nodded, seeing how she turned around and headed towards the car.

William felt some kind of pressure on his chest, along with a terrible frustration he managed to hide because of his years of practice, and after looking at the sky for an instant, he walked towards the car, ready to face what was next. The sooner they finished with it, the sooner he could go home and forget about everything, at least for a while.

They divided in two cars; Fer, Abby and the reapers in one heading to Stamford Bridge and another one with Mr. Haggard, Sebastian and Susanna heading to the cemetery.

The road to the cemetery seemed to be longer than it actually was. Despite of pretending the contrary, the girl had a bad feeling and was scared. This could be the last chance to stop the Final Linkage and she didn't know what could happen. Suddenly, Sebastian softly took her hand. A warm and comforting caress, as if he knew exactly what was worrying her and he wanted to make her feel better… and it worked when she looked at him and he smiled with security, transmitting her the braveness she needed.

It was difficult to get near the Stamford Bridge, because there were many fans heading towards the stadium and the streets were filled with them and their cars. It was an important game: quarter finals of the Premier League, and the rivalry between both teams was considerable, which raised the public's expectation and excitement.

"It's ok if you don't leave me in front of the stadium. I can walk." Ronald put on his neck the blue Chelsea scarf "besides, I don't want you to be late because of me."

"Are you sure? I think we might still get a little closer." Fer pointed as he looked through the window, trying to see where the line of cars ended.

"Don't worry." He opened the door and before getting out, he looked at everyone "good luck. See you in a few hours." He winked and headed towards his destiny.

"Stage one, cleared" said Grell as he relaxed on his seat, but notices a very particular expression on his boss' face "Is something wrong, Will?"

"Nothing…" the Supervisor said emotionless and after an instant he continued "Is just that, that man won't give up… not without giving a good fight, and you know the implications very well."

The rest of the time, there was silence and once they left the car in a parking lot, they headed to their positions. Each one pretending to not know each other, in order to avoid suspicion.

Once they were inside the station, they walked towards the tunnel that was marked on their map. Abby pretended to wait for a friend, while Fer did the same on the other side of the rails. On his way there, he bought a newspaper and sat on a bench, reading it to appear more casual. Meanwhile, Grell and William seemed to have disappeared, but it was only their ability to hide from the human eyes. Once they were inside the tunnel, they walked, slowly and with caution, in case there was some kind of trap.

"Do you think we'll find demons?"

"Grell Sutcliff…" William looked at him with rigor "shall I remind you that everyone could hear us?"

"Oh, Will, honey, don't be silly… you need to turn on the earpiece first." He winked and continued walking, looking at his boss to make sure his earpiece was turned off.

"Honestly… I don't see why we need an artifact such as this… and demons are the least of my worries. The angel is the one that worries me the most." When he finished the sentence, he turned on the earpiece, nothing could be heard yet. As for Grell, he decided to leave it turned off for the time being.

Meanwhile, Mr. Haggard was parking the car near the cemetery entrance. There were some people nearby and a funeral was being held on the other side of the memorial park, so Susanna and Sebastian casually walked, as if they were there to visit a grave. After making sure no one was seeing, they entered the crypt that would take them to the tunnels and turned on their earpieces.

Once they were inside, Susanna felt a chill. The shadows she usually saw in dark places were watching her, judging her and freezing her blood, leaving her almost static. Unexpectedly, Sebastian caressed her hair and got closer to her from behind, as he lit a lantern.

"You're probably frightened, my dear, but…"

"E.. excuse me?" she was surprised.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry, I didn't mean to make light of your bravery, it's just that…" the demon explained while his face showed an almost angelical expression.

"No, I didn't mean that… what did you call me?"

"My dear…" he whispered on her ear, very close to the earpiece.

"Seb…" He interrupted the girl.

"Or perhaps you'd like me to…" he took her hand and softly kissed it "call you something else more…" suddenly, William cleared his throat with a discreet, but rather evident way from the other side of the earpiece.

"We have a work to do. I suggest you focus on the task at hand Michaellis."

"My, my… apparently, someone is jealous." Said Sebastian with a smile on his face.

"Jealous of what, exactly? don't be ridiculous. How could I be jealous of a vermin like you?"

"Wait jealous? Are you talking about me, Sebas-chan?" Grell decided to turn his earpiece on. Right in the right moment.

"It's too obvious, Mr. Spears. After all, Susanna and I…"

"Let's continue with the plan, alright?!" the girl interrupted "this is not the time for this." She didn't even want to imagine the riot that could take place if they continued arguing.

Lucky for her, Ronald had experience with that kind of things, so he tried to relax the atmosphere; the tension was evident, and not only because of the girl's interaction with the demon.

"Ronald here, do you copy?"

"Do you really have to pretend you're in an action movie?" Susanna joked.

"Hey, it's not every day that I can use these things…" then, the uproar of the stadium was heard.

"Wow! It seems like they are all excited there."

"Yes, the game's about to begin and…"

"Is it too much to ask for some concentration from you?" Will's deep voice was heard "tell me, is there something unusual in the stadium?"

"Nothing, Sir. Everything seems to be in order, but I haven't seen the whole place yet." His voice was agitated. Apparently, he had some trouble to walk among the crowd.

"Nothing unusual here, either. The subway isn't too crowded." Fer commented as he turned the page of his newspaper.

"If we see something suspicious, we'll let you know." Susanna continued walking next to Sebastian.

No one could have imagined the things the mausoleum hid. Much less, how deep below ground the stairs went down. Those stairs hadn't been used since the early 50's, and the place couldn't be compared with that cave back in Sweden. The fact of being a cemetery and being a shelter during the World War II, made the place look even spookier. It had an atmosphere of sadness and despair coming out of its walls, not to mention the low temperature.

Susanna saw some more shadows passing by; it was to be expected from a place like that, but it didn't make it any less scary. She had a feeling they would attack her any time, but the constant presence of the demon made her feel secure. And, as if he has just read her mind, he got closer to her and gave her a quiet and comforting kiss on the forehead.

All of a sudden, a warm air surrounded them and Sebastian's eyes immediately shone, becoming more alert and ready for anything. They both remained motionless for a second and none of them said a thing, but Susanna knew something was about to happen. Nevertheless, before she could think something else, she heard voices on the earpiece.

"Did you feel that Will?" Grell asked.

"Yes…" there was silence "but I can't see anything near us." The sound of his dead scythe unfolding was heard.

"We can feel it too." Sebastian added "proceed with caution, this seems oddly familiar." And after saying that, the reapers and Susanna knew he meant some kind of demonic activity.

Each one continued their route, until something similar to an earthquake made them scream, but neither Ronald nor Fer or Abby felt it; they knew something was going on when they heard the rest of the group complaining and yelling.

Sebastian took Susanna in his arms and ran towards the other side of the tunnel, trying so hard to get near the end of it while he protected her, but then, a very loud buzz was heard and a terrible dizziness invaded him for several seconds. The demon lost his balance and his legs didn't seem to respond, but he regained his consciousness when he heard the girl's screams.

Apparently, they were falling into a supernatural hole; it wasn't normal for Sebastian to have a sensation such as that, and it could only mean one thing: something really bad was going on. They were falling and his face showed how startled he was. His demon eyes allowed him to see the edge of the abysm. He'd never felt something like that before, but he knew exactly where they would end up if they continued falling, so without giving it much of a thought, he threw Susanna towards the surface, using great strength so she could get to the tunnel.

"You cannot fall, Susanna!" was the only thing he could say to warn the girl and save her, while she managed to grab a pipe from the ceiling.

At the same time, William and Grell went through a similar situation, but they couldn't react on time, since the abysm appeared to have a stronger effect on them, and it was dragging them to the bottom.

For a while, the only thing that was heard through the earpieces, were screams of terror and frightening laments that could scare to death anyone who'd heard them. Ronald yelled with all his strength, asking what was going on, but no one answered. The howls contrasted with the excited and joyful voices of the stadium. Abby and Fer stared at each other with uncertainty and fear…

And then, there was silence and everyone thought the worst, until Susanna cried in pain, as if she was hurt, and without losing any more time, Fer threw the newspaper away and ran towards the tunnel, looking for the girl and deliberately ignoring Abby's voice, telling him to stop.

William was very clear when he said they couldn't abandon their post, but this was an extraordinary situation; neither him, nor Grell or Sebastian seemed to be conscious, since nothing was heard from his earpieces, so the young man thought the worst had happened and hurried to look for Susanna, who was still alive.

He ran as fast as he could and took the lantern he carried on his pocket so he wouldn't fall. He was sure there was some kind of deep hole on the ground, or at least something that attacked the other men and left them unconscious.

As for Ronald, he was desperately calling for the reapers, but there was no answer. He knew he shouldn't move from the stadium; not before finding out if something would happen in the stadium and making sure those souls could be collected.

A few minutes passed and the young reaper was distressed. He had to hurry, but it wasn't easy to do his job, knowing something bad could have happened to the others. Something he was sure it was related to Janssens-Guillot.

Suddenly, Susanna's voice was heard.

"Can anyone hear me?" they all answered immediately and asked about what happened "I don't know… we just… fell. It was like an earthquake and then the ground opened… Sebastian… he tried to save me and… I can't find him anywhere…" her voice was weak and she hid the tears so she could ask "what happened to William and Grell. Are they alright?"

"We don't know anything about them either. I'm on my way. Just keep walking through the marked route and we'll eventually meet." Fer said as he ran as fast as he could and entered a door that lead to a shortcut.

Meanwhile, in an unknown and dark place, William and Grell were recovering from the terrible fall. As soon as they could stand, they looked around with curiosity. They were in some kind of old and ruined city, with dark sky, where the color was something between red and orange, with silent thunders and floating structures, as if they were pending from an invisible rope.

The ground had cobblestone pavement and they were surrounded by old and destroyed buildings. They walked, looking for a clue of their whereabouts or an exit, but there was no one near and the temperature was warm, even sultry, despite of the evident lack of sun. The air was heavy; difficult to breath and both reapers had a bad feeling.

There were dark stains with different shapes and tones on the tall pillars that stood along the lane. None of them wanted to find out what was it, and they kept their distance from the walls, just in case. Despite of being a place with almost sepulchral silence, several screams could be heard in the distance… cries of pain that gave them the creeps. Neither of them recognized the place, but it couldn't be a human dimension.

"The architecture seems to be from another country… perhaps Eastern Europe, but I highly doubt we're there… the atmosphere is… different." William held tight his death scythe "this looks like…"

"A demonic dimension?" a voice was heard from behind them "yes, this feels just like home."

"Sebas-chan!" Grell seemed relieved to see someone he knew, aside of William.

"But I don't know how did we end up here." The demon looked around "I wonder if…"

"A portal…" William growled, looking around, searching for signs of another nearby portal; something that could take them out of there.

"A great power would be required to open a portal like that. Or two of them!" Grell added "apparently, the same thing that happened to Will and me, happened to Sebas-chan as well.

"The ground opened and I couldn't…" the demon couldn't finish the phrase and an expression of concern and frustration appeared on his face.

"What happened to Susanna?" the dark haired reaper tried to sound as calm as possible, considering the implications "there's no way she could survive here…" his words showed that, even he was having trouble being there, in the demonic dimension.

"I'm aware of that, and as soon as I realized where we were being taken, I made sure she remained in the tunnel, safe and away from the portal." Sebastian seriously explained "I'd never let something happening to her." William gave him a serious look, almost threatening, and that was the moment when he noticed his demon eyes remained shiny and pink, just like they truly were and not disguised as human's.

"I see…" William finally said, and then he saw the intensity on the demon's gaze. There was something different in his eyes; neither his usual mocking expression or his antagonism were there, and at long last, he understood why. He did his best to avoid thinking about it, but now he had to face it: that kiss between Sebastian and Susanna meant much more than he could imagine. The demon was genuinely concerned about her, and not only because of the contract.

In that moment, he didn't know what was worse, the growing heaviness inside his chest, along with the stomachache caused by his frustration, or the suffocation caused for being there.

"Do you have any idea of how to get out of here? We still have a mission to fulfill, and besides, demons could appear any moment." Then, Grell's attitude change "Oh, but I hope they are all just as handsome as Sebas-chan!" he jumped with excitement, but something in him was different. He didn't look as full of energy as always.

"And if you don't get out of here son, this dimension will wreak havoc on you." The demon looked at the reapers "I assume you already noticed you're losing strength.

"What are you implying, you Satan spawn?" William threatened him with his death scythe.

"Do not worry." He put away the weapon with a slow movement "remember, we are on the same side. Besides, I need your help to get out of here. We don't know what are the plans of Demian Janssens-Guillot, and Susanna could be running out of time." Both reapers nodded "very well, follow me."

When Fer found Susanna, the expression of anguish on his face immediately disappeared. From the moment he heard those yells, he feared the worst, but after seeing she only had a couple superficial wounds and her jeans were slightly thorn, he knew nothing too bad happened to her. Still, there were no signs of Sebastian anywhere, or Grell and William's. At least not inside the tunnel.

"I'm so relieved you're fine, Miss Susanna."

"Nothing happened to me, but… Sebastian fell into a huge hole and…" she looked around "there's not even a single crack on the ground…" she was preoccupied "and I think the same thing happened to the reap… eh, I mean Grell and Will. And to make things worse, I lost the gun. I'm sure it fell along with Sebastian."

"We don't really know what happened, or if they are safe, but… we have to finish what we started. I'll help you get rid of that guy"

"Fer, don't…" she was afraid something bad could happen to him. After all, her enemy wasn't normal at all… he had supernatural help.

"Please, don't say that… you know very well I'm more than capable of doing it. Remember I was once part of the MI7." He smiled and Susanna felt comforted.

"Thank you, Fer."

And then, they both continued walking towards the intersection where the ritual would take place. They still had two kilometers to walk and the girl had enough time to think about an excuse to explain Fer what was going on there. On the other hand, she knew Sebastian and the reapers were alright… or at least they were alive. If something had happened to them, the contract mark would have disappeared, and she still felt it on her neck. Warm and real, like the first time it was set on her neck.

They walked for several minutes and then a noise was heard through the earpieces, as if there was a big crowd on the other side. It was Ronald, who turned the microphone on.

"Are you guys alright? What happened?"

"We don't know, but we must continue with the plan. I'm fine, and Fer is walking beside me. We're heading towards the intersection."

"Those are good news, at least…" Ronald's voice seemed sad "there's nothing unusual here and the security measures are impressive. This could be a real chaos, if something happens."

"We'll make sure it doesn't…" Fer answered, and then they continued with their task, focused on searching for a clue that could tell them what might occur.

No one spoke for a couple minutes and only the voices in the stadium could be heard, but suddenly, Ronald heard something similar to a punch through the earpiece.

Fer and Susanna walked along the tunnel, but a sneaky shadow appeared behind them and punched them in the head with a big piece of wood, leaving them unconscious and to its mercy.

The man who did it, tied their feet and dragged them towards the intersection. They weren't too far away. The smell of incense filled the place and a faint light indicated there was someone else there. There was a big underground dome, which meant they were several meters below the surface.

No one answered when Ronald tried to communicate; only Abby, who was guarding the tunnel entrance and couldn't move from her position. The situation worried the reaper, especially because he couldn't leave the stadium either. Not until he found out something about the summoning.

Things didn't look good…

Meanwhile, in the demonic dimension, both reapers and Sebastian walked through an area with dry trees and arrived to some kind of old plaza, surrounded by impressive columns that impressively towered in front of them, giving the impression they reached the highest point of the scarlet sky.

Suddenly, the demon stopped walking and took out a book from his jacket. It was Richard Serafer's journal.

"A while ago, I read about a ritual to open portals, and even though it's designed to be performed in the human dimension, it might work here."

"Are you sure about that? If it's a demonic dimension, shouldn't you be able to leave at will?" the supervisor questioned with severity; he didn't completely trust him, much less knowing what happened between him and Susanna, so he considered the demon as an annoying rival.

"That would be the most logic thing, isn't it?" the demon mocked "nevertheless, this is not my original dimension, so I'm afraid it's out of my jurisprudence and I cannot leave that easy. Not without the necessary elements."

"And I supposed, that is related to what's inside that book." Grell pointed.

"This diary has endless writings about rituals and summons, that Susanna's grandfather gathered through his life. Some of them date from several centuries ago, some others were created by the same men who started all this muddle. Each of them is designed to be executed by a human. If this feel on the wrong hands, it could mean a serious problem, just like the one we're facing now. That is why Susanna entrusted me with it." He looked at the supervisor "and thanks to that, we can leave this place, but I need your help." Both reapers nodded.

"What do you need us to do?" William finally answered.

"Grell, I need you to go to one of those ruined buildings and get a piece of glass from the windows. Spears we'll need a piece of wood as well; you could use that death scythe of yours to cut one from those trees. As for me, I'll look for the right place to perform the ritual."

"We'll be right back." Grell hurried to look for the glass.

As for William, he walked a few meters to but a branch from one of those dry trees. He chose to bring a small log he cut with his weapon, but he felt his own strength slowly abandoning him, along with a terrible long to leave that place.

Once he was back to the point where Sebastian was waiting for them, he observed how the demon was staring at the floor, as if he was looking for something, perhaps the exact positon to make the ritual, but still, he was clueless about how he might do it. There were many things he still ignored about demons and their powers.

"Grell should be here soon… and if your ritual works, we should be back soon." He dropped the log.

"It will… and Demian will pay for what he's done." Sebastian seemed furious.

"Fort the first time, I agree with you…" there was silence for an instant and then, William said "and I suppose… you won this time." Sebastian looked at him with curiosity.

"This dimension affects you way too much…" the demon had a dark expression which hid the smile that appeared on his lips.

"Don't be stupid…" he adjusted his glasses "you know very well what I mean… she…" he didn't finish the phrase because he immediately regretted what he was about to say, and for his surprise, de demon didn't answer with hostility.

"That's right. She chose me…" William became tense "and yet," Sebastian took a step forward and looked at the reaper in the eye "it doesn't change the fact that you, are the one who can calm her and take her out of that state of shock she gets every time she hears that phrase in Latin…" the supervisor was taken by surprise. He certainly didn't expect to hear such think from Sebastian "and, that is something I cannot do and never will… I cannot feel."

"You, miserable wretch…" he said with pity and a bitter smile appeared on his face. At least he got a small victory in that war he maintained with the demon for several months. Suddenly, Grell was back.

"Here's the piece of glass." He handed it to Sebastian "what's next?" he seemed rather impatient, undoubtedly, because of the effects the dimension had on him. He was more restless than his boss, who despite looking rather tired, kept perfect composure.

"It's right here." Sebastian hit the floor with his shoe "I shall trace a pentagram identical to the one on Susanna's neck."

Sebastian took the glass and cut his hand, pouring blood right under his feet, and then on the log. His wound was closed after a few seconds, and then he appeared a flame that slowly became bigger and bigger, burning the log until it became charcoal and he used it to trace the pentagram with seven symbols on it. The reapers paid attention to his actions, waiting for an explanation.

Ronald felt uneasy. It was halftime in the stadium, and the communication between him and the others, was broken. The only one he could talk to was Abby, and she didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary inside the tunnel.

Manchester United players were back in the field, jogging to be ready for the second half. They eagerly wanted to score another goal, since the score was tied 1-1, and both teams had good chances of winning.

The crowd yelled when the second half started and they cheered for their team. Few minutes later, another goal was scored by Chelsea, and the stadium vibrated with excitement. By that time, Ronald had already walked around the whole place, looking for suspicious activity, but he couldn't find anything. The security inside the stadium was heavy and the cameras were working just fine, so if something was meant to happen, it would be underground, and if that was the case, there was nothing he could.

Being a grim reaper, he was unable to stop someone's death, unless of course, the person was indispensable for humanity, which didn't happen often; perhaps once or twice every century, and someone with such characteristics had recently appeared… aside of that, his job at the stadium was to stop all those people's souls from being part of a massive sacrifice, in case a catastrophe occurred.

"Damn… Susanna, where are you?" he complained, without receiving an answer, and then he decided to check his to-die list.

He only wanted to make sure he wasn't in the list. It was an irrational impulse, since she was taken out of it, and for more than one good reason, but something inside the reaper told him to check it anyways; the list was often updated by the high ranks.

Humans are so unpredictable, once in a while they can appear or disappear from the lists. Suddenly, the young reaper's eyes widely opened, showing surprise and he finally understood what was going on.

He looked around, as if he was isolated from the euphoric and excited people; a terrifying silence that apparently, only he could hear, froze his blood and cold sweat ran through his forehead and nape. An instant later, he ran as fast as he could and headed to the tunnel intersection.

He barely had fifteen minutes to get there and stop a catastrophe. He thought about the worst scenery, and if it happened, he would be the one who should stop Demian Janssens-Guillot…

Almost at the same time, Susanna started to wake up. She gradually opened her eyes and quickly felt a strong smell of incense filling her nose. The vision of the great tunnel was very different from what she imagined: the place as illuminated and pretty dry. Evidently, someone had been there often. There were two metal stairs on both tunnel sides and they connected each other with a gangway and a railing. There was a control box right in the middle, nevertheless, everything seemed blurry, as if it was a mirage.

She knew she wasn't dreaming because her head was hurting so bad, right where she received the blow and when she was sure no one was looking, she raised her head to see if she could find out something more of her situation.

Everything seemed blurry because of the many candles set on the floor. Apparently, they were on strategic places. The ground was covered with something that appeared to be white sand, and there were red lines drawn on it, forming a pentagram with symbols the girl recognized from her grandfather's journal. Before she could find something else, she got distracted with a familiar silhouette lying in the floor in one of the reverse star peaks, next to two men who were talking.

Susanna felt her heart skipping a beat when she realized what was going on: the ritual was about to begin and Fer, who was unconscious, was lying there for a specific reason. It didn't take much imagination or knowledge to figure out what would happen, so Susanna used all her willpower to sit, since that blown in the head had left her very dizzy, and the incense intensified the sensation.

Her feet were tied, just like her hands and she noticed a bandage tied on her right arm, covering an open wound; she knew it because it hurt. Trying to avoid detection, she uncovered and touched her contract mark, trying to summon Sebastian, but it was futile. The demon was nowhere to be seen, although she felt a slight throbbing on her neck, and she knew he was trying to communicate with her.

For a brief instant, she felt relieved because she knew he was alive, and a huge wage was taken off her shoulders, but she still had to figure out how to stop the ritual. She couldn't do much to save Fer either, so she thought about gaining some time.

"Demian!" both men immediately looked at her.

One was clearly younger than the other, and they looked alike, so Susanna thought it was Demian and his son. The older man should be around sixty. His skin was very pale and it contrasted with his threatening dark eyes. His brown hair was perfectly combed and his serious attitude let the girl know it wouldn't be so easy to get rid of him. Not this time.

The younger man, couldn't be older than twenty-two. His sharp now was just like his father's, but his hair was blond and messy. Without a doubt, he was the one who left her and Fer unconscious. His eyes, oscillating between green and brown, looked at Susanna as if they were looking at her very soul, but at the same time, they showed fear deep within.

The girl felt her heart beating so fast as she looked at them walking towards her. She didn't have much time and she didn't know what those two were capable of, and yet, she was willing to take a chance to win some time.

"I'm glad you're awake. You are just in time to see how a new era is born… or more exactly, to see the one who'll bring it."

"The fallen angel!"

"That's right…" and then, Demian stood in front of her and looked at his son, doing a little movement with his head to tell his soon to put her on her feet.

With a violent movement, the young lad did as he was told and held her arm with too much strength. Susanna felt pain and complained as she glared at him.

"Be a little more careful, Seth. We don't want her to be damaged for our special guest."

"I'm sorry, father." The young man replied and loosened the grip on her arm.

"Nevertheless…" Demian got closer to her and looked at her in the eye, studying here for a few seconds, and then he punched very hard on the face "this is for my dead colleagues… and for the great economic losses I've got. Do you have any idea of how expansive is to buy the European Union port authorities? Or how much I had to invest on bodyguards and mercenaries while you were chasing us? And how about the effort to prepare that special nitroglycerine?"

"It should have cost you that, and much more…" she looked at him with hate on her eyes "and it will."

"Are you threatening me?" he said with disbelief "I don't think you're in position of saying such things… that demon you have as butler can't help you now. Much less your reaper friends. They are weak…"

"You don't know what you're…"

"Silence!" the girl felt intimidated "can you believe it?" Demian looked at Seth "a demon butler… it was obvious he would betray you."

"He'd not…" Demian punched her again to keep her quiet. This time, he managed to make her lip and nose bleed.

"If he hasn't done it, is because he has other plans in mind… and besides, that's not important now. They are all so far away. I've personally sent them."

"So it was you… what did you do to them?" she already knew; it couldn't be a coincidence William, Grell and Sebastian disappeared at the same time. Gradually, the contract marc became warmer and warmer on her neck. It almost hurt, and that gave her some hope.

"Let's see…" he laughed for himself and walked towards the pentagram, while looking at his watch "Reznik had telepathy. Your family has the gift of vision… they could see beyond what any mortal can. Schneider could summon demons and some other creatures. Ricardo Soler had astral projection and Aidan Crawford atmokinesis… I have the gift of summoning portals. Is something I've developed through my whole life and it grows stronger with each generation. We waited for so long to make the Final Linkage… waited for out gifts to be strong enough. And now the time has come. Each of these gifts are necessary to bring the fallen angel, because they give us something in common with him, and they make us capable of generating an entrance to this dimension for him.

"But everything is useless. I've absorbed all their…"

"Exactly! And you've made my work easier with that. Five is such a big crowd, don't you think?" he remained silent for a moment, while he grabbed a syringe from his pocket and injected its content on Fer's neck.

"No! wait!" Susanna struggled to get free from Seth's hands.

"Stay still!" the young man yelled as he tightened the grip on her arms.

"Oh, don't worry, he's not dead… yet." He walked towards the center or the pentagram and looked at the girl with mocking eyes and a cynic smile on his face "and, by the way… I knew you wouldn't cooperate with me, so I took the liberty to use some of your blood to trace the pentagram, that way I'll have the essence of each gift given by the fallen angel… still, I might need some more later on. I'll let you know."

And after saying that, he turned his back to Seth and Susanna, and started to say something in ancient Aramaic. The ritual had begun…

Meanwhile, in all the entrances of the Stamford Bridge and the roofs, individuals dressed with black suits and wearing glasses appeared, each one holding a sharp gardening tool, ready to act in the exact moment…

The dark sky in the demonic dimension seemed restless. Thunders appeared more often and they were getting louder. The air became even more dense and both reapers experienced great discomfort; something they've never felt before.

"The pentagram has to be traced with freshly burnt wood, bathed in demon blood." There was another thunder in the sky and they all looked up "that means it's working. The frontier between this dimension and human is weakening in this location. We should hurry."

While he finished drawing the pentagram, he recited something unintelligible with a soft voice, and then he took the glass between his hands and a purple light appeared around it, turning it into a mirror he put in the center of the pentagram.

"Mirrors are natural portals…" then he stepped in one of the pentagram peaks and made a signal so the reapers would do the same in other two "whatever happens…" he looked to the side, noticing a couple type D demons approaching "you need to focus. The more you do it, the faster we get out of here. Just think about the word _Micaloz_."

The reapers looked at each other with curiosity and then nodded, ready to do their best effort, however, it was quite hard, since the demons were about to attack them. They were getting dangerously close and moved very fast.

Sebastian said a couple words in an unknown language, as if it was a mantra and the sky shook, this time with a piercing sounds that caused shivers.

In that same moment, Fer screamed in pain. A sound that would remain on Susanna's mind for the rest of her life. It wasn't a normal scream; it was almost agonizing and brutal, as if his arms and legs were being ripped away and he couldn't do anything about it. His gaze as lost in the distance, apparently, he couldn't focus, or he might even be blinded.

Susanna's eyes were full of tears and she struggled to untie herself, but it was useless. She was just hurting herself with the rope. A great impotence invaded her and Fer's screams reminded her of her own kidnap. The mark of her contract with Sebastian hurt more and more and the tunnel began to fill with mist and cold air.

"Ah!" Seth suddenly complained and fell unconscious.

"Susanna! Are you alright?" it was the Young reaper, who had arrived just in time.

"Ronald! We need to help Fer!" she stated as he untied her ropes so she could move.

"Susanna, I…" she looked at her with regret on his eyes "there's nothing I can do…" he took a knife from his pocket and cut the ropes. Then he looked down and after an instant, he managed to continue "I've come to collect his cinematic record and… I'm afraid I cannot save him. That would go against the rules…"

"No!" and she hurried to get to Fer, trying to find his pulse.

Demian continued with the ritual, and not even Susanna reaching Fer took him out the trance sate he was in, so she took the opportunity to drag the young man outside the pentagram and leaned him back in one of the walls. His pulse was weak and he was sweating after the agony he just faced. Very slowly, and struggling, he opened his eyes, his vision still blurry, but he managed to look at the girl.

"Miss Susanna…"

"Fer, don't speak… I…" she started to cry "I'm so sorry! Please, forgive me! I shouldn't have brought you with me… nothing of this…"

"Please, don't say that…" he caressed her head with the little strength he had left, softly and sweetly "I knew the risks and… I hope I helped somehow…" he smiled with nostalgia "when I meet your grandfather again, I'll tell him how proud he should be of his granddaughter and… how grateful I am for what he did for me." She couldn't say anything and saw how slowly Fer's skin became paler. Breathing became harder for him as well "they cannot win… trust in… your… strength… don't… don't give up."

All of a sudden, his arm, the same he used to caress Susanna, fell down, as if all his strength was gone. His blond hair fell on his sweaty forehead and his eyes didn't reflect emotions anymore. He was gone

"No, Fer! Please, don't leave me!" she cried and Ronald took her shoulder while he leaned down next to her and closed Fer's eyes.

"It's alright, Susanna. It happened very fast." Then he summoned his lawn mower and started to collect his cinematic record. However, little after he started the collection, something seemed to be pulling the film away. As if an invisible force didn't allow his soul to be collected; it was being subtracted "what the hell?"

Suddenly, Demian saw his son lying unconscious on the floor and hurried toward them, punching Ronald with superhuman strength. His eyes were now completely black and he looked terrifying, as if he was possessed by something or someone. Susanna stood up and tried to get to the reaper, who received a heavy blow and he was recovering, but before she could do it, the man strongly held her and dragged her towards the center of the pentagram.

The reaper almost tumbled, but when he recovered his balance, he threw himself at the cinematic record that was being subtracted inside a portal. He barely made it on time to finish the collection and after he was done, he turned to attack Demian, but he anticipated his movements and used Susanna as a shield, causing Ronald to parry, and moved some candles from the pentagram. Some of the symbols were now gone, but the man holding Susanna didn't seem to notice it and he started to recite words in an antique language. The girl struggled to get away from him, but she couldn't and the pain of the contract mark started to be unbearable.

Suddenly, Demian took a knife and made a deep cut on Susanna's hand, letting the blood spill on the center of the inverse star. The atmosphere changed in the tunnel. There was almost absolute silence, and only the cold air whistling on the nearby tunnels could be heard. Then, an irritating noise came from the control box up the stairs. It was like an alarm with an eerie sound that echoed in the place.

"It's time…" finally pointed Demian after laughing maleficently. An instant later, a loud noise was heard in the distance, and a light earthquake was felt.

Ronald and Susanna looked at each other with wide eyes. They couldn't believe what was happening. The reaper already suspected it, but he thought he'd have some time to prevent a disaster: the sound they heard before was a devastating bomb that exploded right under the Stamford Bridge.

For an instant, the girl was astonished, imagining how many people would have died in the explosion, but before giving it much of a thought she felt Demian throwing her to the ground, leaving her motionless as he positioned above her.

Ronald hurried to attack Janssens-Guillot and managed to bring him down, but before he could corner him, another tremor was felt and the ground opened.

"It's a portal!" Susanna yelled as she crawled to get away from the pentagram. The portal was opening in one of the sides of the tunnel, nearby Demian and Ronald, and as soon as she saw wat was trying to get out of it, she screamed in terror.

They were type D demon, that quickly leaped to reach Susanna and Seth.

"Oh, not again!" the reaper took off his jacket, which was now broken after assaulting Demian. Then, he took his death scythe and attacked the demons. He wasn't willing to let them feed on souls.

He managed to chase away one of them, but they were four and it was very difficult to keep them at bay. As for Demian, he walked towards Susanna and took her back to the pentagram. She punched her, regretting losing her gun; the man was too strong, which had to be some kind of consequence of the ritual he performed a few minutes before.

The man recited a spell and there was another tremor. The girl started to think everything was lost, but the contract mark unbearably burned her neck and the floor opened again, showing a deep and terrible darkness that didn't seem to have an end.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Ronald complained. He was still fighting the demons and received a few punches while he was at it. Lucky for him, they didn't carry the Gungnir spear this time.

When the portal was open, a set of knifes stabbed the arm of the man holding Susanna, while Sebastian went out the portal with a super-fast movement.

"Susanna!" the butler yelled with urgency and worry. Right after him, Grell and William went out the portal, but they were accompanied by more demons.

"Honestly… we can't disappear even for an hour, because demons start to come out of everywhere."

"Sir! Sempai! You're just in time to…" Ronald spoke as he punched a demon on the head "send this aberrations back to where they belong."

"Ronald, I thought you were in the stadium… thank goodness you disobey orders as well." Grell smiled at him "and for what I can see…, this could have been much worse and Susanna could be dead." He summoned his chainsaw and ran towards the demons to attack them.

The situation at the stadium was much worse. There were hundreds of injured people and many more were dead, lying in the floor, along with the remains of the construction. Cries and screams of desperate people buried under heavy rocks and bricks were heard and the sound of the ambulances came from the distance.

The reapers started the arduous job of collecting the souls of the people who died, but they knew the numbers would greatly increase in a matter of minutes.

As soon as Sebastian was near Demian, he kicked him, sending him to the top of one of the stairs. Then he helped Susanna stand up.

"Sebastian… are you alright?" she looked at him, checking if he was wounded, but he seemed to be fine.

"Susanna… I should be the one asking that…" he softly caressed her cheek and took a handkerchief to remove the stains of blood from her face. Then, he kneeled down with solemnity "My lady, I hope you could forgive me for not taking care of you the way should have. I promise this won't happen again." When Susanna saw him, she was very surprised and caressed his head with tenderness.

"I know… I was so worried about you, as well." She smiled and Sebastian looked at her, a little shocked.

"You are so gently, milady…" he grabbed her hand and stood up while holding it "I don't know what would I be capable of if I hadn't seen you again… all because of that bloody bastard." Suddenly, his calm and warm expression became evil and his demon eyes shone even more. They hadn't adopted their usual reddish tone since he came out the portal "but, for the time being, there are some things we shall take care of…"

Then, Sebastian turned around, looking for Demian, who appeared to be doing another enchantment, but the butler couldn't stop him, since he saw one of the demons was dangerously approaching Susanna, so he carried her to keep her safe.

The reapers were still fighting the type D demon, but then, five of the six that were there, ran away, disappearing in the tunnel that lead to the stadium. Ronald was ready to go after them, but William stopped him.

"There's no need…" Grell and Ronald looked at them, taken aback. "a bomb exploded in the stadium, hasn't it?" Ronald nodded with curiosity "I supposed something like that would happen." William adjusted his glasses "so, I took precautions and made the proper arrangements. There's a special team taking care of it as we speak…"

"Oh, Will, dear! You think about everything!" Grell remarked.

"It's my job…" he adjusted his glasses again and then jumped to attack one of the demons, piercing trough his chest with his death scythe. His speed was incredible; the demonic dimension weakened him and he was just recovering, and yet, his strength and abilities allowed him to get rid of that demon in short time, as if it didn't imply much effort. Being the Supervisor of the Management Division, he should be an individual with exceptional qualities.

After that, Sebastian jumped towards the reapers, leaving Susanna to stand up.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"We're fine, but…" William walked next to them and looked at the girl with some regret "it seems like you went through some trouble as well." His voice was soft, and he fought the long to get closer and embrace her. He knew it was too late for that.

"Occupational hazards." she shyly smiled and looked at Demian, who was still on the stairs, kneeled down, his eyes completely black. His expression had changed and he seemed about to get a heart attack.

Immediately, the reapers and Sebastian got ready to attack him, but the butler's sharp ears recognized something on the other side of the tunnel.

"It seems like the pipe carrying the water supply is about to break. If it does, everything will be flooded and we'll be dragged by the current.

"It must have been the explosion." Ronald explained and looked at the tunnel what lead to the stadium, trying to see something "how long till it happens?"

"Maybe a couple minutes." The butler said thoughtfully.

"But Demian!" Susanna broke the silence and they looked at each other as if they were planning something. An instant later, they lunged against the man, who was now standing and had a knife on his hand, ready to cut his veins, reciting _"Bene ha Elohim."_

A moment later, Demian jumped down, falling right in the middle of the pentagram. As soon as he touched the floor, another earthquake was felt; the strongest so far and, slowly, his body started to disappear, as if the ground was absorbing him.

In that moment, Seth woke up and saw his father disappearing. He was very careful not to make a single noise and stood up as fast as he could, running away from that place.

When the body was done, a golden mist appeared and headed towards Susanna. It was Demian's power, which was to be absorbed by the girl. This time, she felt dizzy and she was sure something was calling her.

"Is something the matter?" Grell noticed and approached her.

"No, it's just… I'm dizzy… I think…" she looked at the pentagram on the floor and saw a red light coming out of it.

They were all very surprised. It could only mean one thing, but none of them said a word; they were speechless, until they saw a silhouette coming out the ground.

At first, it seemed to by only a shadow, but it gradually became clearer and the first thing they notices were the black wings slowly displaying in the air

The fallen angel had arrived.

None of them said a word, the y limited themselves to look at the mythical being. He had human form, but he had black wings. It as a tall and pale man, about 6´3 ft tall and when he stood in the middle of the inversed star, he looked at them, with a mocking smile, studying them with a gaze that seemed to be made of pure ice.

His face was extraordinarily attractive. After all, he was an angel… one that fell from God's grace millenniums ago. Part of his penitence could be seen on his left eye, that was red and bloodshot. Dark marks were below it, reaching his cheekbones. A supernatural image that was taken out from hell itself, and contrasting with his, his right eye was the purest blue, brilliant, as if it was filled with light.

Quickly, his gaze was fixed on Susanna, who didn't dare to look at him and took a step back, fearing for her life and, once again, the dizziness invaded her. She took Sebastian's arm to not fall down. The demon had approached her in a protective way as soon as the fallen angel appeared.

Ronald held his death scythe as tight as he could, trying to hide the fear he felt, while Grell adopted a serious attitude, more threatening than he'd showed before. He turned on his chainsaw and his eyes shone, ready to attack, but William made a simple, but firm movement to stop him. His harsh and serious countenance observed his rival, trying to guess what he was up to, but only one thing was certain: they had to be cautious, because it wasn't just any supernatural being.

Suddenly, Sebastian stood in front of Susanna and his eyes shone, more demoniac than ever and a dark aura surrounded him. He was ready for anything, although he knew a serious fight would risk his mistress life, aside of destroying e tunnel. On the other hand, they didn't have much time before the place flooded, so his top priority would be to take the girl out of there.

As for the angel, he limited himself to observe them, tilting his head with curiosity after seeing their behavior. He seemed relaxed and calm, while he passed his hand through his dark hair, looking at Susanna again.

"So, you are the final piece…" his voice was deep and manly "to be honest, I expected something more…" he looked at her from head to toe "mundane and willing. I thought you would be a sacrifice more…" and when he saw her terrified and confused expression, he laughed "I guess that's not important anymore. You've got what I need."

"Don't take another step closer…" William threatened him with his death scythe and glanced at Sebastian, as if he was trying to say something.

"A grim reaper will stop me?" he laughed again "are you doing this to stop me, or to protect this girl?" without a warning, William used his death scythe to attack the fallen angel, who made a fast and graceful movement to dodge him. Nevertheless, he managed to make a small scratch on his arm "how cunning… you might just be quite entertaining and…" he looked at Susanna "of course, you as well." He winked and she felt a chill traveling down her spine

"I know how tempting could that be, but… I can't let you put a single finger on her." Pointed Sebastian with arrogant and threatening attitude. He understood what William wanted to say; they needed to distract the angel and flee.

"A demon!... I will have a lot of fun with you, but… not today." He pointed at the tuned that lead to the stadium and from his index finger, an energy halo was shot. The water was about to flood the place, and before flying away, he smiled "…soon…"

When the angel disappeared, the tension went away, but it was replaced by a notorious worry.

"We have to get out of here as soon as possible." Sebastian approached Susanna to carry her and run towards the exit.

"Wait…" she looked at the corpse on the floor "Fer…" Susanna's voice was cut.

"Oh…" Sebastian looked down, stopping to think about the young man's death for a moment. Then, he looked at the reapers.

"I'll take care of the boy." William got closer to Susanna "we'll go through that tunnel that leads to the cemetery and then..."

"Abby!" Susanna exclaimed, remembering something could happen to her. And then Will looked at the redheaded and nodded.

"It seems like…" Grelll checked his to-die list "there's no problem. She's not on the list."

"I'll go get her." Ronald smiled "shall we?" Sebastian and the Supervisor nodded.

I a matter of seconds, William took Fer's body and carried it on his back. Then he ran next to Grell through one of the tunnels, while Sebastian hurried to take Susanna in his arms and take her out of there.

 _ **Author's notes**_.

 _ **This chapter ended up being longer than I thought, so it took me longer to update, but here it is. I'm really sorry for Fer's death… my beta reader almost killed me when she read it and, I certainly hope you guys don't hate me…**_

 _ **I'm afraid there are few chapters left to finish the story, and this will get more and more exciting.**_ _ **Besides, we're getting closer to that lemon escene… muahahaha!**_

 _ **I'd like to take the opportunity to thank two of my fellow master's students, Aldo and Xavier, since they give me great ideas to write the arguments between Will and Sebastian… every time they start arguing in class, I take notes and I come up with new ideas to write the reaper and the demon xD**_

 _ **Dearlybel0ved: I know… took them long enough… *cof cof* took ME long enough *cof cof* Sebastian's going to be such a tease from now on, if that's even possible, since he already is.**_


	38. A small trip to hell (William)

**Chapter 30. A small trip to hell. (Reaper route)**

The following day, Susanna woke up with the noises her butler made when he was preparing the bath. She slept very well; better than the past few weeks. The memory of William's kisses put a smile on her face and for a moment, she let herself get carried away by the uncertainty of whether it had been a dream or not, but then, she saw a familiar silhouette outside her window. It was Chema, carrying a note.

The girl stood up from the bed as fast as she could and opened the balcony door to take the correspondence. She didn't want Sebastian to be the one getting it, and felt relieved when she noticed he didn't seem to be nearby when she took the note.

She was very careful when she took the note from the pigeon's leg and, ignoring his odd behavior, she unfolded it. There was a small flower inside the note. It was pale pink and it seemed rather familiar. Then, she read: _I'll see you in a couple hours. Have a nice day._ His writing was perfect and she could almost hear Will's voice whispering in her ear. _"PD. A small hint, this is an almond blossom"_

Susanna sweetly smiled, wondering about the meaning of the flower. Suddenly, she heard some steps behind her, and discreetly folded the note and hid it inside her pajama's sleeve.

"Good morning, milady… is something the matter?" the demon asked with fake innocence. He already knew the pigeon carried a note.

"Nothing… just confirming the hour to…" she sighed "start with the plan."

"Bath is ready."

"Thank you, Sebastian…"

The girl walked towards the bathroom, but before entering, the demon appeared in front of her, wearing a persuasive gaze, as if he was about to ask something important.

"Today is the day… are you alright?" she was about to speak, but he did it before her "whatever happens, please remember I shall remain at your side, till the very end." His demon eyes weren't threatening. Despite the implications of his words, there was some serenity on them, some kind of calm he transmitted to her "in addition to the contract, stopping the linkage is of big importance to me, but I'd like you to know that you are my priority. Don't be afraid, I won't let anything happen to you." He got closer to her.

"Thank you, Sebastian… I trust you." She kindly smiled and then she took a step aside to enter the bathroom, turning her back on him.

"It's not too late to change your mind." He said behind her. Close to her, but not invading her personal space, expecting a positive answer.

"Sebastian…" he looked at her, expectant "what's the meaning of the almond blossom?"

"Almond blossom?" she seemed confused, but immediately responded "they mean to wake up, or the awaken" he noticed a very peculiar expression on the girl's face "would you like me to prepare some almond blossom tea? It's ideal to wake up in the morning."

"Indeed it is…" then she closed the door behind her, leaving Sebastian with uncertainty, but he had a vague idea why. This time, his demon eyes shone with anger and he hurried to leave the room. The war was far from over and he'd have the last word.

A few hours later, three reapers appeared on the front door of the Serafer residence, ready and willing to start with the plan. Ronald wore a pair of blue jeans and Chelsea jersey; an outfit that was similar to the one he used when he first visited the stadium. As for the other two, they wore their usual suits in red and black.

As soon as they entered, Susanna greeted in the lounge, wearing a big smile.

"Hi!" her voice tone was too cheerful and after noticing it, she changed her attitude, becoming more serious.

"Dear me, it seems like everyone's in a good mood today." Grell smiled "Will didn't scold us that bad after handing our reports with delay, and he didn't say anything either when Ronald came to the office wearing those clothes."

"Well, I think this is a good omen." Ronald had a wide grin on his face "don't you think so, Susanna?" he got closer to her and casually put his arm around her.

"I hope so. Besides, I woke up with a very pleasant surprise." She looked at Will out of the corner of her eye "I think it's a good omen, as well"

"It's good that you are happy and content," Sebastian spoke with sarcasm "but we have a work to do. Shall we go to the studio?"

"Sure." The girl resigned and led them to the studio with a movement of her hand. William was the last one to leave the lounge; he waited a moment until they were separated from the rest, in order to speak with the girl.

"So… you received it?" he kindly asked, knowing the answer beforehand. His messengers never failed, but he wanted to know what she thought.

"Your good morning message?" she smiled with excitement "of course! But, where did you get that flower? I mean…" she got closer to him and whispered "that was very… specific."

"It was a special commission." He smiled with his eyes, discreetly took her hand and kissed it "after you." He looked at the studio, where they were being expected.

Once they were there everyone seemed to adopt a solemn attitude and there was tension in the air, but still, Susanna couldn't stop smiling.

"Alright, everyone, take an earpiece, please." Said Fer as he put one of them on his ear "they all have a small button right in the part that goes in the back of the ear. Use it to turn it on as soon as we split. They have a microphone and, of course, everything you say will be heard by the rest of us."

"So, mind your language." Susanna joked, but the message was for the reapers and Sebastian, who were given to say something that could reveal their identities.

"The frequency is set, so it would be really hard to find without an adequate radio or an aerial, since what we're about to do isn't quite… legal…" he looked at everyone with anxiety on his face "we better watch out hay we say."

"It's alright, Fer. If something goes wrong and someone finds out about this, I'll take the blame and Sebastian will take care of hiding you guys and sending you away, so nothing bad happens to you." The girl explained. Ever since the day they went to that warehouse to kill Schneider, Sebastian prepared a set of fake passports and Id's, so the employees could flee the country without a problem. This was a battle Susanna had to fight alone and, although she was grateful for their help, she wouldn't let them be harmed.

"Miss…" all of a sudden, Abby, who remained silent the whole time, spoke with determination and seriousness "whatever happens, we are on your side. We won't leave you alone. We are in debt with your grandfather and with you…"

"Those people shall pay for what they've done to you and your family…" unexpectedly, Fer's gaze became sincere and touching "and I think I speak for the three of us when I say we do this by our own conviction." And then Thomas smiled and put his hand on Susanna's shoulder, who looked at him surprised.

"That's true. Also, there are some things your grandfather entrusted me to tell you when this is all over, so we better make this plan work." The girl didn't know what to say about it and nodded. An instant later, Sebastian cleared his throat and went ahead to explain the plan, or more exactly, review it.

"Team number 1 will have Ronald, Grell, Mr. Spears, Abby and Fer, who will drive the car to the Stamford Bridge, where Ronald will part ways. Then, the rest of you will leave the car in a nearby place and walk towards the subway. Meanwhile, Mr. Haggard, my lady Susanna and I, will go to Brompton Cemetery and start with the plan. Please, remember we'll abort the plan if any of us sees something suspicious or out of place. We don't want anyone getting hurt, and please, keep in mind we'll certainly face something violent in those tunnels."

"Indeed." William finally spoke "It is also very important that you don't leave your posts… not for anything in the world…" he looked at everyone with severity "not only you'd be risking your life, but everyone else's too. We have an escape route on both sides of the tunnel, and the last thing we need it to be left without a way to get out."

"Any questions?" Susanna asked, feeling anxious and nervous. She wouldn't mind having a drink in that moment. No one said anything and she continued "very well, then… let's go and… good luck, everyone."

"Miss…" Fer spoke before she could leave the room "don't forget this… you could need it." He gave her a gun and a holster so she could carry it on her jeans.

She nodded and a tiny smile appeared on her lips. Then, they left the room and stepped out of the house. Each one knew very well what to do, but the risk of Demian's plans being misunderstood was there, and Susanna couldn't stop thinking about the possibility.

Once they were outside the house, and before Susanna headed to the car, William softly touched her shoulder, telling her he wanted to say something before they left.

"Is something wrong?"

"No…" he looked away for an instant and then placed his eyes on hers "several months ago, I personally took you out the to-die-list, but if the ritual is completed and the fallen angel comes to this dimension, I'm afraid his actions would be out of my jurisprudence and…" he used a formal and professional tone, but it abruptly changed and became softer "I don't have the meanings to know if he'll do something that threatens your life. Please, be careful while I'm not nearby."

"I will." She solemnly said, suddenly feeling worried for what might happen. The reaper seemed anguished because of the uncertainty, and that made the girl feel uneasy. "I know this isn't exactly what you'd like to hear but… Sebastian will take care of me in that tunnel"

"I know." He said, grudgingly "And I'm willing to do even the impossible to keep you safe."

"Thanks" she smiled and turned to look at the others, making sure no one was looking at them, and then she pulled his necktie, kissing him on the lips. A brief kiss, that gave them some peace "good luck."

He nodded and walked towards the car, ignoring that Ronald was witness of the whole scene, and made sure Grell was distracted so they wouldn't be interrupted.

As for Sebastian, who saw them as well, glared at the reapers with his threatening demon eyes, ready to attack. He knew the girl had made up her mind, and he was disgusted because there was nothing he could do about it.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" the Supervisor asked when he noticed the peculiar expression on Ronald's face.

"Nothing… in particular." He smiled and entered the car.

They divided in two cars; Fer, Abby and the reapers in one, that headed to Stamford Bridge, and Mr. Haggard, Sebastian and Susanna in another one that went to Brompton cemetery.

The road towards the cemetery seemed to be longer than it actually was. Despite pretending not to, the girl had a bad feeling about the whole thing and was afraid. This could be her last chance to stop the Final Linkage and she didn't know what they'd stand up to.

"I'll make sure to keep you safe, Milady." The demon spoke when he noticed her attitude "you can trust me" he smiled to comfort her. Despite everything, he wouldn't give up so easily

She smiled as well and slightly squeezed his shoulder; a gesture of sympathy and care. She was aware that his concern was genuine.

It was difficult to get near the Stamford Bridge, because there were many fans heading towards the stadium and the streets were filled with them and their cars. It was an important game: quarter finals of the Premier League, and the rivalry between both teams was considerable, which raised the public's expectation and excitement.

"It's ok if you don't leave me in front of the stadium. I can walk." Ronald put on his neck the blue Chelsea scarf "besides, I don't want you to be late because of me."

"Are you sure? I think we might still get a little closer." Fer pointed as he looked through the window, trying to see where the line of cars ended.

"Don't worry." He opened the door and before getting out, he looked at everyone "good luck. See you in a few hours." He winked and headed towards his destiny.

"Stage one, cleared" said Grell as he relaxed on his seat, but notices a very particular expression on his boss' face "you are worried, aren't you, Will?"

"I have a bad feeling. We better stay alert. You know what could happen if we fail."

There was silence for the rest of the way, and once they parked the car nearby the subway station, they all headed to their positions. Each one pretending to not know each other, to avoid suspicion.

Once they were inside the station, they walked towards the tunnel that was marked on their map. Abby pretended to wait for a friend, while Fer did the same on the other side of the rails. On his way there, he bought a newspaper and sat on a bench, reading it to appear more casual. Meanwhile, Grell and William seemed to have disappeared, but it was only their ability to hide from the human eyes. Once they were inside the tunnel, they walked, slowly and with caution, in case there was some kind of trap.

"Do you think we'll find demons?"

"Grell Sutcliff…" William looked at him with rigor "shall I remind you that everyone could hear us?"

"Oh, Will, honey, don't be silly… you need to turn on the earpiece first." He winked and continued walking, looking at his boss to make sure his earpiece was turned off.

"Honestly… I don't see why we need an artifact such as this… and demons are the least of my worries. The angel is the one that worries me the most." When he finished the sentence, he turned on the earpiece, nothing could be heard yet.

Meanwhile, Mr. Haggard was parking the car near the cemetery entrance. Then, Susanna and Sebastian walked out the car and headed with steady steps towards the crypt that would led them to the tunnels.

Once they were there, Sebastian opened the iron door and they entered. Susana felt a chill. She knew this was the last place of rest of many people, and the idea of being in a place like that made her feel uneasy. Also, she was aware of the presence of those shadows that used to observe her, so she hesitated before taking a step in.

"Be careful," the Butler offered her his hand, so she would walk down the stairs of the cold crypt "If you'd wish, I can carry you until we reach our destination… I'll assure you'd be much more comfortable." He casually flirted, and that helped her relax a little, but Sebastian had all the intention of tempting her. Before she could answer, a male voice was heard from the other side of the earpiece.

"I'm sure Susanna is perfectly capable of walking down the stairs for herself…"

"Mind your own business, mister Spears. We have a schedule to meet." The demon answered in a diplomatic way "remember I'm in charge of the lady's safety.

"I'm afraid there's a thin line between taking care of her safety and taking advantage of the situation, Michaelis"

"You are not the one next to her in this moment, so you better trust my judgment on the situation."

"A very questionable one, if you'd ask me…"

"You know? I'm really glad you decided to be in different parties. God know how troublesome it would have been if you were together, arguing in the same place." Susanna put an end to what seemed to be an endless discussion.

"Ronald here, do you copy?" said the young reaper after laughing because of what he just heard.

"Is it really necessary have to pretend you're in an action movie?" Susanna joked.

"Hey, it's not every day that I can use these things…" then, the uproar of the stadium was heard.

"Wow! It seems like they are all excited there."

"Yes, the game's about to begin and…"

"Shall I remind you that we have some work to do?" Will's deep voice was heard " is there something unusual in the stadium?"

"Nothing, Sir. Everything seems to be in order, but I haven't seen the whole place yet." His voice was agitated. Apparently, he had some trouble to walk among the crowd.

"Nothing unusual here, either. The subway isn't too crowded." Fer commented as he turned the page of his newspaper.

"Sebas-chan, if we something unusually we'll let you know right away" Grell made a pause "these tunnels are way darker than I thought." He complained.

"Yeah, we'll let you know is we find something out of the ordinary, as well." Susanna continued walking next to Sebastian.

No one could have imagined the things the mausoleum hid. Much less how deep below ground the stairs went down. Those stairs hadn't been used since the early 50's, and the place couldn't be compared with that cave back in Sweden. The fact of being a cemetery and being a shelter during the World War II, made the place look even spookier. It had an atmosphere of sadness and despair coming out of its walls, not to mention the low temperature.

Susanna saw some more shadows passing by; it was to be expected from a place like that, but it didn't make it any less scary. They seemed to judge her, and she wouldn't be surprised if any of them attacked her, but the constant presence of the demon made her feel safe. Nothing would happen to her while he was there, and of course, while the fallen angel wasn't summoned.

All of a sudden, a warm air surrounded them and Sebastian's eyes immediately shone, becoming more alert and ready for anything. They both remained motionless for a second and none of them said a thing, but Susanna knew something was about to happen. Nevertheless, before she could think something else, she heard voices on the earpiece.

"Did you feel that Will?" Grell asked.

"Yes…" there was silence "but I can't see anything near us." The sound of his dead scythe unfolding was heard.

"We felt it too." Sebastian added "proceed with caution, this seems oddly familiar." And after saying that, the reapers and Susanna knew he meant some kind of demonic activity.

Each one continued their route, until something similar to an earthquake made them scream, but neither Ronald nor Fer or Abby felt it; they knew something was going on when they heard the rest of the group complaining and yelling.

Sebastian took Susanna in his arms and ran towards the other side of the tunnel, trying so hard to get near the end of it while he protected her, but then, a very loud buzz was heard and a terrible dizziness invaded him for several seconds. The demon lost his balance and his legs didn't seem to respond, but he regained his consciousness when he heard the girl's screams.

Apparently, they were falling into a supernatural hole; it wasn't normal for Sebastian to have a sensation such as that, and it could only mean one thing: something really bad was going on. They were falling and his face showed how startled he was. His demon eyes allowed him to see the edge of the abysm. He'd never felt something like that before, but he knew exactly where they would end up if they continued falling, so without giving it much of a thought, he threw Susanna towards the surface, using great strength so she could get to the tunnel.

"You cannot fall, Milady!" was the only thing he could say to warn the girl and save her, while she managed to grab a pipe from the ceiling.

At the same time, William and Grell went through a similar situation, but they couldn't react on time, since the abysm appeared to have a stronger effect on them, and it was dragging them to the bottom.

For a while, the only thing that was heard through the earpieces were screams of terror and frightening laments that could scare to death anyone who'd heard them. Ronald yelled with all his strength, asking what was going on, but no one answered. The howls contrasted with the excited and joyful voices of the stadium. Abby and Fer stared at each other with uncertainty and fear…

And then, there was silence and everyone thought the worst, until Susanna cried in pain, as if she was hurt, and without losing any more time, Fer threw the newspaper away and ran towards the tunnel, looking for the girl and deliberately ignoring Abby's voice, telling him to stop.

William was very clear when he said they couldn't abandon their post, but this was an extraordinary situation; neither him, nor Grell or Sebastian seemed to be conscious, since nothing was heard from his earpieces, so the young man thought the worst had happened and hurried to look for Susanna, who still seemed to be alive.

He ran as fast as he could and took the lantern he carried on his pocket so he wouldn't fall. He was sure there was some kind of deep hole on the ground, or at least something that attacked the other men and left them unconscious.

As for Ronald, he was desperately calling for the reapers, but there was no answer. He knew he shouldn't move from the stadium; not before finding out if something would happen in the stadium and making sure those souls could be collected. A few minutes passed and the young reaper was distressed. He had to hurry, but it wasn't easy to do his job, knowing something bad could have happened to the others. Something he was sure it was related to Janssens-Guillot.

Suddenly, Susanna's voice was heard.

"Can anyone hear me?" they all answered immediately and asked about what happened "I don't know… we just… fell. It was like an earthquake and then Sebastian disappeared …" suddenly, her voice became alarmed "Will? What happened to Will and Grell? Are they alright?"

"We don't know anything about them either. I'm on my way. Just keep walking through the marked route and we'll eventually meet." Fer said as he ran as fast as he could and entered a door that lead to a shortcut.

Meanwhile, in an unknown and dark place, William and Grell were recovering from the terrible fall. Lucky for them, gravity didn't seem to be normal there, so they weren't hurt so bad.

As soon as they could stand, they looked around with curiosity and noticing their strength was decreasing. They were in some kind of old and ruined city, with dark sky, where the color was something between red and orange, with silent thunders and floating structures, as if they were pending from an invisible rope.

The ground had cobblestone pavement and they were surrounded by old and destroyed buildings. They walked, looking for a clue of their whereabouts or an exit, but there was no one near and the temperature was warm, even sultry, despite of the evident lack of sun. The air was heavy; difficult to breath and both reapers had a bad feeling.

There were dark stains with different shapes and tones on the tall pillars that stood along the lane. None of them wanted to find out what was it, and they kept their distance from the walls, just in case. Despite of being a place with almost sepulchral silence, several screams could be heard in the distance… cries of pain that gave them the creeps. Neither of them recognized the place, but it couldn't be a human dimension.

"The architecture seems to be from another country… perhaps Eastern Europe, but I highly doubt we're there… the atmosphere is… different." William held tight his death scythe "this looks like…"

"A demonic dimension?" a voice was heard from behind them "yes, this feels just like home."

"Sebas-chan!" Grell seemed relieved to see someone he knew, aside of his boss. As for William, he looked around, searching for something or someone.

"But I don't know how did we end up here." The demon looked around "it must have been a portal. The ground opened all of a sudden and I couldn't…" the demon couldn't finish the phrase and a guilty and frustrating look appeared on his face.

"Where is Susanna?" the dark haired reapers asked in an inquisitive way, looking at Sebastian with bright eyes, telling him with his eyes he ought to carefully choose his next words. However, the only response he got was silence. The demon didn't say anything "there's no way she could survive here for long!... I swear, if something happened to her…!" William lost his composure for a moment. He'd imagined the worst and focused his anger on the demon, but after taking a deep breath and noticing the serious look on the butler, he recovered his calm attitude, even though he was about to burst "you were in change of her safety…" the heaviness of the atmosphere seemed to invade him, and the idea Susanna being hurt made things worse.

"I'm aware of what could happen to a human in a demonic dimension, so as soon as I realized where we were taken, I made sure she remained in the tunnel, safe ad out of the reach of the portal" Sebastian seriously explained "her safety is my priority, although you wouldn't understand."

The demon looked at the reaper with threatening seriousness, and it was in that moment when William noticed his demon eyes remained shiny and pink, like they truly were and not disguised.

"…I see…" William finally said, relieved after seeing the intensity of the demon's gaze, which appeared to be quite different; his usual mocking expression or antagonism wasn't there. They looked at each other or a moment, until Grell broke the silence.

"We need to get out of here as fast as we can. There's a mission we have to accomplish, and demons can find us any time," and then Grell expression changed "oh, and I hope they are as good looking as Sebas-chan!" he jumped in excitement, but something changed. He didn't seem as full of energy as always.

"And if you don't get out of here son, this dimension will wreak havoc on you." The demon looked at the reapers "I assume you already noticed you're losing strength.

"The faster we leave, the better. Susanna could be in danger and the ritual will start soon."

"As much as I hate to admit it, I agree with you. But I'll need your help to get out of here. We don't know what mister Janssens-Guillot is planning, and Susanna might not have so much time." Both reapers nodded "follow me."

When Fer found Susanna, the expression of anguish on his face immediately disappeared. From the moment he heard those yells, he feared the worst, but after seeing she only had a couple superficial wounds and her jeans were slightly thorn, he knew nothing too bad happened to her. Still, there were no signs of Sebastian anywhere, or Grell and William's. At least not inside the tunnel.

"I'm so relieved you're fine, Miss Susanna."

"Nothing happened to me, but… Sebastian fell into a huge hole and…" she looked around "there's not even a single crack on the ground…" she was very worried "did you see Will on your way here? I'm afraid the same thing might happened to the reap… mean, Grell and Will" she made a pause to think for a moment "besides, I lost the gun. It must have fallen along with Sebastian."

"We don't really know what happened, or if they are safe, but… we have to finish what we started. I'll help you get rid of that guy"

"Fer, Don't…" she was afraid something bad could happen to him. After all, her enemy wasn't normal at all "if you hadn't noticed yet, this situation isn't normal… holes opening on the ground and people disappearing…" she looked at him with worry in her eyes "I don't want anything bad happening to you"

"Please, don't say that… you know very well I'm more than capable of doing it. Remember I was once part of the MI7." He smiled and Susanna felt comforted "besides, at this point I've already overlooked many unexplainable things, miss" his smile was arm "you can count on me."

"Thank you, Fer." She was surprised with his words, but was grateful for his determination.

And then, they both continued walking towards the intersection where the ritual would take place. They still had two kilometers to walk and the girl had enough time to prepare for what was coming.

On the other hand, she knew Sebastian was safe… or at least he was alive. If something had happened to them, the contract mark would have disappeared, and she still felt it on her neck, but she wasn't sure about William and Grell. She didn't have a way to know if they were safe, and the only thought of it terribly distressed her.

In the end, she decided to mentally repeat herself they were aright. After all, he was the Supervisor of the reaper's Management Division. It would only be a matter of time until they were back.

They walked for several minutes and then a noise was heard through the earpieces, as if there was a big crowd on the other side. It was Ronald, who turned the microphone on.

"Are you guys alright? What happened?"

"We don't know, but we must continue with the plan. I'm fine, and Fer is walking beside me. We're heading towards the intersection."

"Those are good news, at least…" Ronald's voice seemed sad, apparently, he feared the worst as well "there's nothing unusual here and the security measures are impressive. This could be a real chaos, if something happens."

"We'll make sure it doesn't…" Fer answered, and then they continued with their task, focused on searching for a clue that could tell them what might occur.

No one spoke for a couple minutes and only the voices in the stadium could be heard, but suddenly, Ronald heard something similar to a punch through the earpiece.

Fer and Susanna walked along the tunnel, but a sneaky shadow appeared behind them and punched them in the head with a big piece of wood, leaving them unconscious and to its mercy.

The man who did it, tied their feet and dragged them towards the intersection. They weren't too far away. The smell of incense filled the place and a faint light indicated there was someone else there. There was a big underground dome, which meant they were several meters below the surface.

When the young reaper tried to communicate with them, he got no answer; only a worried gasp from Abby, who was making sure no one entered the subway tunnel, and couldn't move from her post. That worried Ronald even more, because he couldn't leave the stadium either. Not until he found out something about the summoning.

Things didn't look good at all…

Meanwhile, in the demonic dimension, both reapers and Sebastian walked through an area with dry trees and arrived to some kind of old plaza, surrounded by impressive columns that impressively towered in front of them, giving the impression they reached the highest point of the scarlet sky.

Suddenly, the demon stopped walking and took out a book from his jacket. It was Richard Serafer's journal.

"A while ago, I read about a ritual to open portals, and even though it's designed to be performed in the human dimension, it might work here."

"Are you sure about that? We can't take any risks. Moreover, if it's a demonic dimension, shouldn't you be able to leave at will?" the supervisor questioned him.

"That would be the most logic thing, isn't it?" the demon mocked "nevertheless, this is not my original dimension, so I'm afraid it's out of my jurisprudence and I cannot leave that easy. Not without the necessary elements. Besides, do you really think I'd leave you two here, at the mercy of any demon who passes by?" they both looked at him with suspicion, but Sebastian smiled again "although I have to reckon it's a tempting idea… Susanna would never forgive me if I did it"

"What a relief." Grell said sarcastically "and how are you going to take us out of here?"

"This diary has endless writings about rituals and summons, that Susanna's grandfather gathered through his life. Some of them date from several centuries ago, some others were created by the same men who started all this muddle. Each of them is designed to be executed by a human. If this feel on the wrong hands, it could mean a serious problem, just like the one we're facing now. That is why Susanna entrusted me with it." He looked at the supervisor "and thanks to that, we can leave this place, but I need your help." Both reapers nodded.

"What do you need us to do?" William finally answered.

"Grell, I need you to go to one of those ruined buildings and get a piece of glass from the windows. Spears we'll need a piece of wood as well; you could use that death scythe of yours to cut one from those trees. As for me, I'll look for the right place to perform the ritual."

"We'll be right back." Grell hurried to look for the glass.

As for William, he walked a few meters to but a branch from one of those dry trees. He chose to bring a medium log he cut with his weapon, but he felt his own strength slowly abandoning him, along with a terrible long to leave that place. Entering a demonic dimension wasn't part of his bucket list. It was a horrible sensation and he was grateful Susanna wasn't there.

Once he was back to the point where Sebastian was waiting for them, he observed how the demon was staring at the floor, as if he was looking for something, perhaps the exact positon to make the ritual, but still, he was clueless about how he might do it. There were many things he still ignored about demons and their powers.

"Grell should be here soon… to be honest, he's one of the best reapers we have, and if your ritual works, we should be back soon." He dropped the log.

"It will… and Demian will pay for what he's done."

Sebastian seemed to be serene as he studied the ground and, for some reason, that annoyed William enormously. How could he be so calm in a situation like that? His excessive confidence irritated him, and thought all that might be a simple game for the demon. He followed his every movement with his eyes, as his green eyes shone brighter.

"I know you despise me and my kin, but…" Sebastian looked at William in the eye "I'd dare say look, so full of hate, is because of a different reason."

"So, you think you know me?"

"No, but I know what you feel for Susanna, and you're evidently blaming me for what happened," Sebastian walked towards the reaper "even without actually knowing if something happened to her or not." He made a pause "but I assure you, she is fine. I'd know it, f something had happened to her."

"Your arrogance never ceases to amaze me." he adjusted his glasses.

"Susanna and I have a special bond… something you'll never had." He took of his leather gloves, which covered his hands, showing now his black nails and the mark of the contract on the left hand. Then he looked at the reaper, this time with a haughty attitude "I know she's alive and fine."

"I don't need to put a mark on Susanna. She's not bound to me because of a contract." The reaper relaxed a little "she chose me because she wanted to, and that is something you cannot change. Tell me, have you ever been able to get her out of that panic attack she gets every time she listens to that phrase in Latin?" there was silence "you might be bounded to her because of that contact, but a demon is incapable of feeling… and that is exactly what keeps you from having another bond with her."

"Tsch…" Sebastian laughed with irony "you really don't know much about demons, do you? But you're right about something… she choose you." They both remained silent until Grell came back.

"Here's the piece of glass." He handed it to Sebastian "what's next?" he seemed rather impatient, undoubtedly, because of the effects the dimension had on him. He was more restless than his boss, who despite looking rather tired, kept perfect composure.

"It's right here." Sebastian hit the floor with his shoe "I shall trace a pentagram identical to the one on Susanna's neck."

Then, Sebastian took the glass and cut his hand, pouring blood right under his feet, and then on the log. His wound was closed after a few seconds, and then he appeared a flame that slowly became bigger and bigger, burning the log until it became charcoal and he used it to trace the pentagram with seven symbols on it. The reapers paid attention to his actions, waiting for an explanation.

Ronald felt uneasy. It was halftime in the stadium, and the communication between him and the others, was broken- The only one he could talk to was Abby, and she didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary inside the tunnel.

Manchester United players were back in the field, jogging to be ready for the second half. They eagerly wanted to score another goal, since the score was tied 1-1, and both teams had good chances of winning.

The crowd yelled when the second half started and they cheered for their team. Few minutes later, another goal was scored by Chelsea, and the stadium vibrated with excitement. By that time, Ronald had already walked around the whole place, looking for suspicious activity, but he couldn't find anything. The security inside the stadium was heavy and the cameras were working just fine, so if something was meant to happen, it would be underground, and if that was the case, there was nothing he could do about it.

Being a grim reaper, he was unable to stop someone's death, unless of course, the person was indispensable for humanity, which didn't happen often; perhaps once or twice every century, and someone with such characteristics had recently appeared… aside of that, his job at the stadium was to stop all those people's souls from being part of a massive sacrifice, in case a catastrophe occurred.

"Damn… Susanna, where are you?" he complained, without receiving an answer, and then he decided to check his to-die list.

He only wanted to make sure he wasn't in the list. It was an irrational impulse, since she was taken out of it, and for more than one good reason, but something inside the reaper told him to check it anyways; the list was often updated by the high ranks.

Humans are so unpredictable, once in a while they can appear or disappear from the lists. Suddenly, the young reaper's eyes widely opened, showing surprise and he finally understood what was going on.

He looked around, as if he was isolated from the euphoric and excited people; a terrifying silence that apparently, only he could hear, froze his blood and cold sweat ran through his forehead and nape. It didn't take him long before he ran as fast as he could, heading to the tunnel intersection.

He barely had fifteen minutes to get there and stop a catastrophe. He thought about the worst scenery, and if it happened, he would be the one who should stop Demian Janssens-Guillot…

Almost at the same time, Susanna started to wake up. She gradually opened her eyes and quickly felt a strong smell of incense filling her nose. The vision of the great tunnel was very different from what she imagined… the place as illuminated and pretty dry. Evidently, someone had been there often. There were two metal stairs on both tunnel sides and they connected each other with a gangway and a railing. There was a control box right in the middle, nevertheless, everything seemed blurry, as if it was a mirage.

She knew she wasn't dreaming because her head was hurting so bad, right where she received the blow and when she was sure no one was looking, she raised her head to see if she could find out something more of her situation.

Everything seemed blurry because of the many candles set on the floor. Apparently, they were on strategic places. The ground was covered with something that appeared to be white sand, and there were red lines drawn on it, forming a pentagram with symbols the girl recognized from her grandfather's journal. Before she could find something else, she got distracted with a familiar silhouette lying in the floor in one of the reverse star peaks, next to two men who were talking.

Susanna felt her heart skipping a beat when she realized what was going on: the ritual was about to begin and Fer, who was unconscious, was lying there for a specific reason. It didn't take much imagination or knowledge to figure out what would happen, so Susanna used all her willpower to sit, since that blown in the head had left her very dizzy, and the incense intensified the sensation.

Her feet were tied, just like her hands and she noticed a bandage tied on her right arm, covering an open wound; she knew it because it hurt. Trying to avoid detection, she uncovered and touched her contract mark, trying to summon Sebastian, but it was futile

"Demian!" both men immediately looked at her.

One was clearly younger than the other, and they looked alike, so Susanna thought it was Demian and his son. The older man should be around sixty. His skin was very pale and it contrasted with his threatening dark eyes. His brown hair was perfectly combed and his serious attitude let the girl know it wouldn't be so easy to get rid of him. Not this time.

The younger man, couldn't be older than twenty-two. His sharp now was just like his father's, but his hair was blond and messy. Without a doubt, he was the one who left her and Fer unconscious. His eyes, oscillating between green and brown, looked at Susanna as if they were looking at her very soul, but at the same time, they showed fear deep within.

The girl felt her heart beating so fast as she looked at them walking towards her. She didn't have much time and she didn't know what those two were capable of, and yet, she was willing to take a chance to win some time.

"I'm glad you're awake. You are just in time to see how a new era is born… or more exactly, to see the one who'll bring it."

"The fallen angel!"

"That's right…" and then, Demian stood in front of her and looked at his son, doing a little movement with his head to tell his soon to put her on her feet.

With a violent movement, the young lad did as he was told and held her arm with too much strength. Susanna felt pain and complained as she glared at him.

"Be a little more careful, Seth. We don't want her to be damaged for our special guest."

"I'm sorry, father." The young man replied and loosened the grip on her arm.

"Nevertheless…" Demian got closer to her and looked at her in the eye, studying here for a few seconds, and then he punched very hard on the face "this is for my dead colleagues… and for the great economic losses I've got. Do you have any idea of how expansive is to buy the European Union port authorities? Or how much I had to invest on bodyguards and mercenaries while you were chasing us? And how about the effort to prepare that special nitroglycerine?"

"It should have cost you that, and much more…" she looked at him with hate on her eyes "and it will."

"Are you threatening me?" he said with disbelief "I don't think you're in position of saying such things… that demon you have as butler can't help you now. Much less your reaper friends. They are weak…"

"You don't know what you're…"

"Silence!" the girl felt intimidated "can you believe it?" Demian looked at Seth "a demon butler… it was obvious he would betray you."

"He'd not…" Demian punched her again to keep her quiet. This time, he managed to make her lip and nose bleed.

"If he hasn't done it, is because he has other plans in mind… and besides, that's not important now. They are all so far away. I've personally sent them."

"So it was you… what did you do to them?" she already knew; it couldn't be a coincidence William, Grell and Sebastian disappeared at the same time. Gradually, the contract marc became warmer and warmer on her neck. It almost hurt, and that gave her some hope.

"Let's see…" he laughed for himself and walked towards the pentagram, while looking at his watch "Reznik had telepathy. Your family has the gift of vision… they could see beyond what any mortal can. Schneider could summon demons and some other creatures. Ricardo Soler had astral projection and Aidan Crawford atmokinesis… I have the gift of summoning portals. Is something I've developed through my whole life and it grows stronger with each generation. We waited for so long to make the Final Linkage… waited for out gifts to be strong enough. And now the time has come. Each of these gifts are necessary to bring the fallen angel, because they give us something in common with him, and they make us capable of generating an entrance to this dimension for him.

"But everything is useless. I've absorbed all their…"

"Exactly! And you've made my work easier with that. Five is such a big crowd, don't you think?" he remained silent for a moment, while he grabbed a syringe from his pocket and injected its content on Fer's neck.

"No! wait!" Susanna struggled to get free from Seth's hands.

"Stay still!" the young man yelled as he tightened the grip on her arms.

"Oh, don't worry, he's not dead… yet." He walked towards the center or the pentagram and looked at the girl with mocking eyes and a cynic smile on his face "and, by the way… I knew you wouldn't cooperate with me, so I took the liberty to use some of your blood to trace the pentagram, that way I'll have the essence of each gift given by the fallen angel…"

And after saying that, he turned his back to Seth and Susanna, and started to say something in ancient Aramaic. The ritual had begun…

Meanwhile, in all the entrances of the Stamford Bridge and the roofs, individuals dressed with black suits and wearing glasses appeared, each one holding a sharp gardening tool, ready to act in the exact moment…

The dark sky in the demonic dimension seemed restless. Thunders appeared more often and they were getting louder. The air became even more dense and both reapers experienced great discomfort; something they've never felt before.

"The pentagram has to be traced with freshly burnt wood, bathed in demon blood." There was another thunder in the sky and they all looked up "that means it's working. The frontier between this dimension and human is weakening in this location. We should hurry."

While he finished drawing the pentagram, he recited something unintelligible with a soft voice, and then he took the glass between his hands and a purple light appeared around it, turning it into a mirror he put in the center of the pentagram.

"Mirrors are natural portals…" then he stepped in one of the pentagram peaks and made a signal so the reapers would do the same in other two "whatever happens…" he looked to the side, noticing a couple type D demons approaching "you need to focus. The more you do it, the faster we get out of here. Just think about the word _Micaloz_."

The reapers looked at each other with curiosity and then nodded, ready to do their best effort, however, it was quite hard, since the demons were about to attack them. They were getting dangerously close and moved very fast.

Sebastian said a couple words in an unknown language, as if it was a mantra and the sky shook, this time with a piercing sounds that caused shivers.

In that same moment, Fer screamed in pain. A sound that would remain on Susanna's mind for the rest of her life. It wasn't a normal scream; it was almost agonizing and brutal, as if his arms and legs were being ripped away and he couldn't do anything about it. His gaze as lost in the distance, apparently, he couldn't focus, or he might even be blinded.

Susanna's eyes were full of tears and she struggled to untie herself, but it was useless. She was just hurting herself with the rope. A great impotence invaded her and Fer's screams reminded her of her own kidnap. The mark of her contract with Sebastian hurt more and more and the tunnel began to fill with mist and cold air.

"Ah!" Seth suddenly complained and fell unconscious.

"Susanna! Are you alright?" it was the Young reaper, who had arrived just in time.

"Ronald! We need to help Fer!" she stated as he untied her ropes so she could move.

"Susanna, I…" she looked at her with regret on his eyes "there's nothing I can do…" he took a knife from his pocket and cut the ropes. Then he looked down and after an instant, he managed to continue "I've come to collect his cinematic record and… I'm afraid I cannot save him. That would go against the rules…"

"No!" and she hurried to get to Fer, trying to find his pulse.

Demian continued with the ritual, and not even Susanna reaching Fer took him out the trance sate he was in, so she took the opportunity to drag the young man outside the pentagram and leaned him back in one of the walls. His pulse was weak and he was sweating after the agony he just faced. Very slowly, and struggling, he opened his eyes, his vision still blurry, but he managed to look at the girl.

"Miss Susanna…"

"Fer, don't speak… I…" she started to cry "I'm so sorry! Please, forgive me! I shouldn't have brought you with me… nothing of this…"

"Please, don't say that…" he caressed her head with the little strength he had left, softly and sweetly "I knew the risks and… I hope I helped somehow…" he smiled with nostalgia "when I meet your grandfather again, I'll tell him how proud he should be of his granddaughter and… how grateful I am for what he did for me." She couldn't say anything and saw how slowly Fer's skin became paler. Breathing became harder for him as well "they cannot win… trust in… you… strength… don't… don't give up."

All of a sudden, his arm, the same he used to caress Susanna, fell down, as if all his strength was gone. His blond hair fell on his sweaty forehead and his eyes didn't reflect emotions anymore. He was gone.

"No, Fer! Please, don't leave me!" she cryed and Ronald took her shoulder while he leaned down next to her and closed Fer's eyes.

"It's alright, Susanna. It happened very fast." Then he summoned his lawn mower and started to collect his cinematic record. However, little after he started the collection, something seemed to be pulling the film away. As if an invisible force didn't allow his soul to be collected; it was being subtracted "what the hell?"

Suddenly, Demian saw his son lying unconscious on the floor and hurried toward them, punching Ronald with superhuman strength. His eyes were now completely black and he looked terrifying, as if he was possessed by something or someone. Susanna stood up and tried to get to the reaper, who received a heavy blow and he was recovering, but before she could do it, the man strongly held her and dragged her towards the center of the pentagram.

The reaper almost tumbled, but when he recovered his balance, he threw himself at the cinematic record that was being subtracted inside a portal. He barely made it on time to finish the collection and after he was done, he turned to attack Demian, but he anticipated his movements and used Susanna as a shield, causing Ronald to parry, and moved some candles from the pentagram. Some of the symbols were now gone, but the man holding Susanna didn't seem to notice it and he started to recite words in an antique language. The girl struggled to get away from him, but she couldn't and the pain of the contract mark started to be unbearable.

"Now, there's only something missing…"

Suddenly, Demian took a knife and made a deep cut on Susanna's hand, letting the blood spill on the center of the inverse star. The atmosphere changed in the tunnel. There was almost absolute silence, and only the cold air whistling on the nearby tunnels could be heard. Then, an irritating noise came from the control box up the stairs. It was like an alarm with an eerie sound that echoed in the place.

"It's time…" finally pointed Demian after laughing maleficently. An instant later, a loud noise was heard in the distance, and a light earthquake was felt.

Ronald and Susanna looked at each other with wide eyes. They couldn't believe what was happening. The reaper already suspected it, but he thought he'd have some time to prevent a disaster: the sound they heard before was a devastating bomb that exploded right under the Stamford Bridge.

For an instant, the girl was astonished, imagining how many people would have died in the explosion, but before giving it much of a thought she felt Demian throwing her to the ground, leaving her motionless as he positioned above her.

Ronald hurried to attack Janssens-Guillot and managed to bring him down, but before he could corner him, another tremor was felt and the ground opened.

"It's a portal!" Susanna yelled as she crawled to get away from the pentagram. The portal was opening in one of the sides of the tunnel, nearby Demian and Ronald, and as soon as she saw wat was trying to get out of it, she screamed in terror.

They were type D demon, that quickly leaped to reach Susanna and Seth.

"Oh, not again!" the reaper took off his jacket, which was now broken after assaulting Demian. Then, he took his death scythe and attacked the demons. He wasn't willing to let them feed on souls.

He managed to chase away one of them, but they were four and it was very difficult to keep them at bay. As for Demian, he walked towards Susanna and took her back to the pentagram. She punched her, regretting losing her gun; the man was too strong, which had to be some kind of consequence of the ritual he performed a few minutes before.

The man recited a spell and there was another tremor. The girl started to think everything was lost, but the contract mark unbearably burned her neck and the floor opened again, showing a deep and terrible darkness that didn't seem to have an end.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Ronald complained. He was still fighting the demons and received a few punches while he was at it. Lucky for him, they didn't carry the Gungnir spear this time.

When the portal was open, a set of knifes stabbed the arm of the man holding Susanna, while Sebastian went out the portal with a super-fast movement.

"Milady, I'm so sorry for the delay" the butler yelled with worry. Right after him, Grell and William went out the portal, but they were accompanied by more demons that were chasing them.

"Susanna! Are you alright?" William's voice sounded alarmed, showing the concern he'd felt the whole time, but when he saw the girl was alive, his expression became softer and he was about to smile. Nevertheless, he noticed she was wounded and frowned. Then, with a very quick movement, he overthrew one of the demons that was about to reach her.

"Sir! Sempai! You're just in time to…" Ronald yelled as he punched one of the demons in the head "send these aberrations back to where they belong."

"Ronald, I thought you were in the stadium… thank goodness you disobey orders as well." Grell smiled at him "and for what I can see… this could have been much worse and Susanna could be dead." He summoned his chainsaw and ran towards the demons to attack them.

The situation at the stadium was much worse. There were hundreds of injured people and many more were dead, lying in the floor, along with the remains of the construction. Cries and screams of desperate people buried under heavy rocks and bricks were heard and the sound of the ambulances came from the distance.

The reapers started the arduous job of collecting the souls of the people who died, but they knew the numbers would greatly increase in a matter of minutes…

Sebastian approached Demian and kicked him, sending him towards one of the metal stairs. He should stop him from completing the ritual, but before he could jump to reach him and continue beating him, he looked at Grell and Ronald in a persuasive way, since the type D demons that, up until that moment seemed to be focused on Seth and Susanna, hurried to ach the tunnel that led to the stadium.

Meanwhile, William helped Susanna stand up, looking at her from head to toe, making sure her wounds weren't serious. Luckily, her injuries seemed shallow, although they sure were painful.

"Susanna, are you okay?" he looked at her in a sweet way, as if they were both alone, far from the whole chaos "I'm sorry for…" he was interrupted, because the girl embraced him, impulsively, surrounding him with both arms and finally shedding a few tears.

"I thought something bad happened to you, Will… and that… I'd never see you again." He caressed her head to calm her down, feeling a great relieve after making sure she was safe.

"We came back as fast as we could, but…" he looked at Fer "I'm afraid that wasn't enough… I didn't know this would happen."

"It was horrible…"

"Hey, leave that for later!" Ronal yelled as he punched another demon who stayed behind "if we don't stop them, they'll go to the stadium."

"He's right!" the girl immediately separated from the reaper, as if she'd just woke up from a dream, becoming conscious of her surroundings.

"I've already taken care of that." He stood in front of the girl in a protective way and took his death scythe "a bomb exploded in the stadium, right?" Ronald nodded with curiosity "I supposed something like that would happen," William adjusted his glasses "so I took precautions and made some arrangements. A special team will take care of it…"

"Oh, Will, dear! You think about everything!" Grell remarked.

" It's my job…" he adjusted his glasses again and then jumped to attack one of the demons, piercing trough his chest with his death scythe. His speed was incredible; the demonic dimension weakened him and he was just recovering, and yet, his strength and abilities allowed him to get rid of that demon in short time, as if it didn't imply much effort. Being the Supervisor of the Management Division, he should be an individual with exceptional qualities.

Demian was will in the stairs, kneeling down His eyes became very dark. His expression changed, as if he was about to get a stroke, but whatever his intention, Sebastian was about to sop him, and jumped to bring him down, but he stopped all of a sudden. His sharp ears recognized something on the other side of the tunnel.

"It seems like the pipe carrying the water supply is about to break. If it does, everything will be flooded and we'll be dragged by the current.

"It must have been the explosion." Ronald explained and looked at the tunnel what lead to the stadium, trying to see something "how long till it happens?"

"Maybe a couple minutes." The butler said thoughtfully.

"But Demian!" Susanna complained and they looked at each other as if they were planning something. Right after that, they threw themselves to the man who was now standing up, taking the knife to cut his veins, reciting _"Bene ha Elohim"_

A moment later, Demian jumped down, falling right in the middle of the pentagram. As soon as he touched the floor, another earthquake was felt; the strongest so far and, slowly, his body started to disappear, as if the ground was absorbing him.

In that moment, Seth woke up and saw his father disappearing. He was very careful not to make a single noise and stood up as fast as he could, running away from that place.

When the body was done, a golden mist appeared and headed towards Susanna. It was Demian's power, which was to be absorbed by the girl. This time, she felt dizzy and she was sure something was calling her.

"No, it's just… I'm dizzy… I think…" she looked at the pentagram on the floor and saw a red light coming out of it "it can't be…"

They were all very surprised. It could only mean one thing, but none of them said a word; they were speechless, until they saw a silhouette coming out the ground.

At first, it seemed to by only a shadow, but it gradually became clearer and the first thing they notices were the black wings slowly displaying in the air

The fallen angel had arrived.

None of them said a word, the y limited themselves to look at the mythical being. He had human form, but he had black wings. It as a tall and pale man, about 6´3 ft tall and when he stood in the middle of the inversed star, he looked at them, with a mocking smile, studying them with a gaze that seemed to be made of pure ice.

His face was extraordinarily attractive. After all, he was an angel… one that fell from God's grace millenniums ago. Part of his penitence could be seen on his left eye, that was red and bloodshot. Dark marks were below it, reaching his cheekbones. A supernatural image that was taken out from hell itself, and contrasting with his, his right eye was the purest blue, brilliant, as if it was filled with light.

His eyes focused on Susanna, and she didn't dare to look at him, taking a step back, fearing for her life. The angel was different from the one she'd seen on the images Sebastian showed her before, and yet, he seemed to recognize her.

William slowly walked towards her, and he was now standing in front of her, trying to protect her and looking around, searching for an escape route.

Ronald held his death scythe as tight as he could, trying to hide the fear he felt, while Grell adopted a serious attitude, more threatening than he'd showed before. He turned on his chainsaw and his eyes shone, ready to attack, but William made a simple, but firm movement to stop him. His harsh and serious countenance observed his rival, trying to guess what he was up to, but only one thing was certain: they had to be cautious, because it wasn't just any supernatural being.

Sebastian's eyes shone, more demoniac than ever and a dark aura surrounded him. He was ready for anything, although he knew a serious fight would risk his mistress life, aside of destroying e tunnel. On the other hand, they didn't have much time before the place flooded, so his top priority would be to take the girl out of there.

As for the angel, he limited himself to observe them, tilting his head with curiosity after seeing their behavior. He seemed relaxed and calm, while he passed his hand through his dark hair, looking at Susanna again.

"So, you are the final piece…" his voice was deep and manly "to be honest, I expected something more…" he looked at her from head to toe "mundane and willing. I thought you would be a sacrifice more…" and when he saw her terrified and confused expression, he laughed "I guess that's not important anymore. You've got what I need."

"Don't take another step closer…" William threatened him with his death scythe and glanced at Sebastian, as if he was trying to say something.

"A grim reaper will stop me?" he laughed again "are you doing this to stop me, or to protect this girl?" without a warning, William used his death scythe to attack the fallen angel, who made a fast and graceful movement to dodge him. Nevertheless, he managed to make a small scratch on his arm "how cunning… you might just be quite entertaining and…" he looked at Susanna "of course, you as well." He winked and she felt a chill traveling down her spine,

"I know how tempting could that be, but… I can't let you put a single finger on her." Pointed Sebastian with arrogant and threatening attitude. He understood what William wanted to say; they needed to distract the angel and flee.

"A demon!... I will have a lot of fun with you, but… not today." He pointed at the tuned that lead to the stadium and from his index finger, an energy halo was shot. The water was about to flood the place, and before flying away, he smiled "…soon…"

When the angel disappeared, the tension went away, but it was replaced by a notorious worry.

"We have to get out of here as soon as possible." Sebastian approached Susanna with the intention of carrying her and head towards the exit, but she stopped him.

"Wait…" she looked at the corpse on the floor "Fer…" Susanna's voice was cut.

"Oh…" Sebastian looked down, after seeing his body lying in the floor. He didn't think he'd die there. Then he looked at the reapers and looked for Seth "it looks like Demian's son is gone."

"That's the least of our worries. I'll take care of taking Susanna out of here, you take Fer." Said William as he approached the girl "we'll go through the tunnel that leads to the cemetery and then…"

"Abby!" Susanna exclaimed, remembering something could happen to her as well, so William looked at the redhead and nodded.

"It looks like…" Grell checked his to-die-list "there's no problem. She's not on the list."

"I'll go get her" Ronald smiled "shall we go?" Sebastian, William and Grell noded.

In a matter of seconds Sebastian took Fer's body and carried on his back, looking at Grell and Susanna, expectant, but most of all, waiting to see William's actions.

The supervisor approached the girl and with a serious expression, he asked.

"Are you ready?" she nodded and was about to ask something, but William said something first "hold on tight."

Then he turned around, turning his back on her and leaning down so she could get on his back. Susanna was a little surprised. When she thought William would carry her, her mind thought something very different, nevertheless she knew that was the reaper's behavior, and without giving it a second thought, she jumped on his back, embracing him tightly to not fall down. He held her legs as well and turned to look at her.

"Ready?"

A moment later they all ran as fast as their legs allowed them to. The water was almost reaching them, threatening to stop them from leaving the tunnels.

 _ **Author's notes:**_

 _ **This chapter ended up being longer than I thought, so it took me longer to update, but here it is. I'm really sorry for Fer's death… my beta reader almost killed me when she read it and, I certainly hope you guys don't hate me…**_

 _ **And in other news, that I'm afraid they're quite sad, the fic has a few chapters left. We're getting to the great finale and… things will get more exciting! Also, please look forward to… *drum rolls* the lemon scene!**_

 _ **I'd like to take the opportunity to thank two of my fellow master's students, Aldo and Xavier, since they give me great ideas to write the arguments between Will and Sebastian… every time they start arguing in class, I take notes and I come up with new ideas to write the reaper and the demon xD**_

 _ **Tfalling angelT: I'm glad you liked it. Will is such a sweetheart… I've got a serious crush on him .**_

 _ **Once again, thank you so much for reading this fanfic, and until next time!**_


	39. Havoc (Sebastian)

**Chapter 31. Havoc. (Sebastian route)**

Once they were outside the catacombs, William looked around, thinking the fallen angel could be somewhere nearby, but once he was sure there as no one, he looked at Grell with a serious and cold expression, worthy of the Supervisor he was.

"Take the lad to the car, then go back to the house with Susanna and…" he made a pause, as if he was choosing his words properly, and finally he sighed and continued "…Sebastian. We cannot be sure if the angel will go for after them or not, so stay with them. I must go to the stadium to make sure everything is going well. I'm sure the explosion left an enormous load of work for us."

With that said, Grell nodded and took Fer in his arms, while William looked at Sebastian and Susanna, solemnly nodding and telling them he would soon reunite with them. Then, he jumped behind the catacomb and disappeared with a buzz.

"Sebastian…." Susanna whispered as soon as William was gone "let me down, I can walk."

"Of course." He did as she told and glanced at her with worry, knowing she was hurt, not only physically, but her soul was wounded as well Hen noticed it as soon as he was back from the demonic dimension. Her soul changed after Fer's death. It was, as if he could perceive her pain and a purple aura surrounded her. He looked at her with tenderness and, for an instant, he thought she was about to fall apart.

"We should hurry," Grell suddenly said, interrupting the scene "we may have problems on the way back and, in a while, the streets of London will be filled with police officers and MI5 agents."

They hurried to look for Mr. Haggard, who was waiting for them in the car, nearby the cemetery entrance, right in the same place where he parked the car a few hours earlier.

Lucky for them, the place was empty and there weren't more cars nearby, since the explosion in the stadium, made the authorities barricade the area, stopping anyone from entering the nearby streets.

"Miss Serafer!" Thomas hurried to say "I feared the worst when I saw the explosion and…" suddenly, he became mute after seeing Fer's motionless body in Grell's arms. His eyes watered ad he immediately knew there was something wrong.

"We'll explain everything as soon as we're back in the house," Sebastian said with a serious tone, opening the door so Susanna could enter the car "the unthinkable has happened."

Thomas nodded and entered the car. Once they were all inside, they headed back. The ride was longer than they expected. There were countless of checkpoint surrounding the stadium and they had to pass two of them in order to leave the area. Sebastian distracted the police officers so they wouldn't see the young man's dead body or Susanna's bad state: covered in blood and wounded.

For Ronald, things weren't easy either. It took him a while to find Abby among the crowd and panic after the explosion, but when he did, he made sure to take her to a safe place, in order to proceed to look for the car. Nevertheless, none of them had the key, so they had to improvise a little so they could go back to the Serafer residence.

"Have you ever stolen a car?" the girl asked after seeing Ronald taking out some wired from below the wheel so he could start the car, with particular skill and talent, as if it was something he was used to.

"No… this is something I learned…" he had a mischievous smile "…from the movies." it wasn't completely a lie, since he had seen it in several cinematic records. He always considered interesting to see burglars doing their job so easily.

"Oh, how perceptive." Abby raised an eyebrow, wondering about his true job. It couldn't be a coincidence that he had such abilities, much less, that he was into all this mess.

The girl was, apparently, serene, but she was actually worried. She knew something bad had happened, since she heard the explosion and the station was evacuated, but when Ronald found her, he didn't tell her what had happened; he didn't consider it appropriate, since someone had died and the angel was a constant danger. He'd wait until they were back home to do it. Telling her about her partner's death would destroy her, so he wore his best attitude to convince her everything wasn't so bad. When she noticed it, she decided to keep her question for later, thinking that, at least for the time being, it would be better to know nothing. Truth to be told, her head was filled with doubts and questions about what was going on, but she preferred to wait.

Almost two hours later, Mr. Haggard was parking the car in the garage back in Susanna's home. For a second after the car stopped, they all remained motionless, as if they wanted to stop the time, avoiding what was coming next and, for a moment, considering the possibility of everything being a dream. The first one who moved, was Sebastian, who looked at Susanna and with a solemn voice said.

"I'll take care of everything and… leave Fer in the studio. But first, I'd like to take a look at your…"

"I'm fine… I'd like to take a bath." Her voice was dry, speaking almost automatically, since her thoughts began to torment her.

They all looked at the girl as he went out of the car, walking slowly and heading towards her room. It appeared as if she would fall down any time, but she didn't. She entered the house and left the door open so the rest of them could enter.

Once Sebastian laid Fer in the studio, he locked the doors and walked towards the living room, where Thomas and Grell were expecting him, evidently alarmed, but for different reasons.

"I supposed you have question, Thomas…"

"Many, and I'm sure Abby does as well," he calmly said "so I'd like to solve them when she's here." The chauffeur's attitude was serene. Years of experience had taught him that, in those situations, remaining calm was the best option. At least, the worst part was over.

"Fair enough." The butler nodded solemnly and looked at Grell.

"Ronald is with her. It won't take them long," then he sat in the couch and crossed his leg to get comfortable "Will ordered me to remain with you guys, for security purposes, so…" he was about to flirt with the demon, but he was interrupted, as Sebastian showed a distant attitude; his mind and priorities were way too far from there.

"I understand. We cannot be too careful." Sebastian's voice was harsh and cold. Then, he turned around, walking towards the stairs "I'll go check if Milady needs something. Then, I should arrange the funeral."

Thomas and Grell looked at each other with different expressions; Mr. Haggard seemed calm, but showed anguish on his eyes, while the reaper seems surprised. He expected Sebastian to object his presence. Instead, he seemed to approve it, which only made the seriousness of the matter more evident.

In that moment, the reaper completely understood the gravity of situation. Not because it wasn't like that before, but because it seemed incredible that such things could happen after all the precautions and plans they considered to stop the summoning.

Once he was upstairs, Sebastian stood in front of Susanna's room. The door was closed and he listened with his demon ears, the sounds coming from the bathroom. He didn't knock or tried to open, because he was aware of her desire of being alone, so he limited himself to hear the running water, along with her sobbing, fighting the urgency of entering and hold her, making her forget about everything, at least for a while.

A few minutes later, when he heard here turning off the water, he headed towards Susanna's studio and took the phone to prepare Fer's funeral. The, with great ability, he elaborated a fake death certificate, as well as the documents needed to keep the police from investigating further. It wasn't the first time he did something like that but, for some reason he couldn't explain, he wished it was the last time he had to do it. At least while he had a contract with Susanna.

An hour later, Ronald and Abby arrived to the residence. Thomas saw when the car parked in front of the house and, immediately he went out to greet them. He was worried the whole time they were away, fearing for Abby's safety. She could have been another victim of the explosion or suspected by the authorities.

As for Susanna, she went out of her room as soon as she heard them. She wanted to make sure Abby was alright, but she wasn't sure where would she get the strength to tell her the truth. Explaining what happened a few hours earlier, would imply revealing the whole truth about her activities during the past months.

As soon as she took one step out of her room, she felt a burst of cold air and Sebastian appeared in front of her, looking at her with piercing eyed and studying her as if he was trying to read her mind.

"Sebastian… I'm fine," she tried to sound as convincing as possible, after the butler's silent questions. His protective attitude was now a day-to-day thing and she was already used to it "I…" suddenly, she felt hos he took her wounded hand. She still had a tourniquet tied to her wrist so she wouldn't bleed a lot, but she might need some stiches.

The demon wasn't wearing his gloves and, with soft touches that almost seemed to be caresses, he examined her hand. Then, he took a bandage from his pocked and covered the wound, which wasn't so deep; it would completely heal in a few days. After that, he looked at her in the eyes and softly kissed her hand, kindly smiling and leaving her speechless.

He took her face and carefully caressed her lips, examining the small wound in there, as well as the bruises on her skin. His expression changed from being tender, to be disapproving, as if he was upset and his demon eyes appeared to notice every tiny detail and imperfection that affected her.

"I should have been there, with you…"

"We didn't know what would happen. It's not your fault." She looked at him in the eyes and all of a sudden, she heard Ronald and Abby entering the house "how are we going to explain all this? We must tell them the truth. They deserve it, although… your identity and the reaper's…"

"Leave it to me, Milady. I will omit a few things, but I'll explain everything."

"Thank you." She looked down and walked down the stairs to meet everyone.

Once they were all gathered in the living room, Sebastian told them to sit down and started to explain what happened. He started from the day Susanna arrived to London, making clear that the problem started generations before hers, but Richard Serafer was the one who managed to decipher how to stop the fallen angel from doing the Final Linkage. Of course, he skipped all the unnecessary information, as well as the truth about himself and the grim reapers, but he insisted on the fact that they were facing something supernatural, almost taken out from a dark fantasy novel.

Then, he explained what happened that day, what Demian just did and the danger they faced, now the fallen angel was there. When he talked about Fer's death, Abby started to cry, along with Thomas, who held her to console her a little, but they were both devastated for the news. Even though the chauffeur knew what happened, he didn't know how it did, so Ronald explained it for them, since he saw the cinematic record and knew the details. Nevertheless, the truth was even harder to explain.

"To be honest," the Young reaper made a pause "we are lucky of still being alive. If the angel had wanted it, he could have eliminated us. Also, the flooding in the tunnel could have been mortal as well." They all assimilated the information for a couple minutes.

"I'm so sorry… forgive me…. I couldn't do anything." Susanna finally spoke. She gathered all her strength to do it, and it was very hard for her to see Thomas and Abby in the eyes; she felt helpless and the memories of Fer's death were still fresh "I saw it happening, right in front my eyes and… I couldn't do anything. I'm… useless."

"Please, don't say that, Miss. You are not to blame for it and…" Thomas tried to console her, but Susanna interrupted him and stood up from the couch, looking through the window and trying to get away from everything. She never thought Fer would die in that horrible way.

"I couldn't have done anything to stop his death." She coldly added, hiding the tears that struggled for going out "but if I'd said no when you got involved in this; from the beginning… everything would be different."

There was silence for a moment and when Susanna finally approached them, she stood up next to Sebastian, dried her tears and looked at Thomas and Abby with a serious expression.

"Now that you know everything and what might happen, I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to quit. I don't want to drag you to a battle that… might be already lost. I won't let you waste your life."

Both reapers looked at each other with mortified expressions; they witnessed the arrival of the fallen angel, which was scary enough to give them chills, but thinking that he might accomplish his plans, was even more terrifying. It was an actual possibility they had to face, and at the same time, a great responsibility fell on their shoulders.

"Since your grandfather was alive, I had my suspicions. There were too many coincidences and strange things happening around us, that I started to speculate about the nature of everything." Thomas looked at Sebastian with complicity. Despite of not knowing the truth about the butler, he knew there was something supernatural in him, but that wasn't the moment to find out "only such thing could have caused all those accidents, explosions, deaths and weather changes. Besides, all those books about occultism couldn't mean otherwise."

"Thomas, why didn't you say something before?" Susanna was shocked and wondered what else Mr. Haggard might know.

"I made a bow to your grandfather. I shouldn't interfere with Sebastian's actions and, I thought that saying something about it, could affect the result. Besides, I didn't want you to be mortified, Miss. You already have a great responsibility on your hands." He laughed for himself "although, I have to confess that… reality surpasses all my conjectures."

"I don't know what to say." Abby remained silent until that moment, trying to assimilate all the information Sebastian gave them. He knew Susanna and her grandfather were related to something dangerous, but she never thought it was that threatening "everything is so… unreal" she looked at everyone "hard to believe but… at the same time, it all makes sense." The girl sobbed and Thomas held her with tenderness, while Susanna sat next to her and, with tears in her eyes, she regretted it all.

A little later, Thomas wore a serous expression and looked at Ronald, as if he was about to question him about something really serious.

"Before this meeting, I turned on the TV to watch the news and see what they were saying about the explosion. All channels are saying it was a terrorist attack, but obviously, it wasn't. There were thousands of deaths and wounded. It's been the worst tragedy in this country in many years but… or what? What is the purpose? And what exactly happened?"

"There was a bomb in the stadium basement, very close to the tunnels where we were," Ronald seemed very serious "Demian Janssens-Guillot detonated it while we tried to stop him. There was nothing we could do. It was already too late and… I'm afraid it was all part of the ritual. It wasn't until today, that we found out what would happen."

"They'll probably keep saying it was a terrorist attack, but they'll never find the true culprit." Grell added with sorrow on his voice "that's our work… I wonder how many people died…"

"They were exactly 4,579 people." All of a sudden, a serene and calculating vice spoke "there's a total of 10, 837 wounded people, and approximately, 300 of them will die on the next hours. The Stamford Bridge can hold a little more than 40,000 people, so the victims could have been many more than those"

"Will! How are things back in the stadium?" Grell hurried to ask as soon as he saw the supervisor walking in the living room. Apparently, he entered the house using the back door, but in that moment, no one wondered how he did it, which was rather convenient for the reaper, who teleporter directly to the garden to save some time.

"I'm afraid that…" he approached the group and, without giving it much of a thought, he practically let himself fall down and sat in one of the couches. He wasn't wearing the suit jacket and, even though his appearance was still immaculate, his necktie was a little loose, but not as much as Ronald's "the rescue work will continue for the rest of the day. The city is a big chaos and, this is only the beginning… everyone is astonished with the explosion." He made a pause "do you have other news?"

The Supervisor looked at everyone with expectation and, despite of assuming they wouldn't be good news, he didn't think the situation would have gotten worse. If something else was to happen during that day, it would have been done while he was away. Nevertheless, he had some faith that someone might have found useful information or perhaps a lead, but such hope vanished as soon as he arrived. Especially, after seeing Susanna's teary eyes.

William looked at Susanna for a brief moment, but for him, it as longer than that. For a couple instants, he almost made his own the sorrow reflected on her face and then, he clenched his fists, wishing to end her suffering, but there was nothing he could do; only glance at the small tears running down her cheeks.

The rest of the reunion was rather quiet and nothing relevant was said. None of them had a clear idea of what might happen, nor had the strength to think about a method to stop the angel. The day was particularly difficult and exhausting, so the reapers went back to their dimension to rest a little. Without a doubt, overwork was waiting for them back home, along with endless piles of reports and a meeting with the higher ups.

After the sun was set, the sky looked as if it knew what happened, the storm was particularly loud and, for some reason, Susanna had the need of getting out of the house. She felt suffocated and went out to the garden. When she looked up, trying to see the stars, she could only see the endless grey clouds that announced the unavoidable catastrophe approaching. She was sad and felt powerless, aside of being frustrated because she couldn't stop the fallen angel summoning. She had no idea how to stop him and was quite aware that everything could be already lost, and yet, for a moment, what affected her the most, was the memories of Fer.

He didn't deserve to die the way he did; he was always a kind young man, worried about her, but in the end, Susanna failed him. She couldn't save him and cursed herself for being so weak and inept. For a little while, she embraced her wounds and bruises, as if they were a deserved penitence, but it wasn't enough.

Her cry was hidden by the water dripping from her face. She was soaking wet and began to tremble, not because of the cold rain, but for the anger and despair she felt. The wound on her hand started to bleed after she clenched her fists.

"If you get sick, it will be more difficult for us to destroy the angel…" Sebastian approached her with slow steps and stood right behind her.

"After all that has happened, I doubt a simple flu would make a huge difference."

"It would," he got closer "I don't like to see you suffering and, not only because it makes me think… I'm not capable of protecting you."

"Sebastian, please, leave your ego out of this." Susanna's voice was somber.

"It's not my ego. I shall keep my word; fulfill my duty as butler, as the demon you made a contract with, but most of all as…" he was interrupted by the girl's sobbing.

Sebastian understood he didn't have to convince her. She already knew all that and, instead, he knew she needed something different, so he got even closer and embrace from behind, protecting her from the rain and making her feel he was there for her. Susanna caressed his arms as he held her silently. She was thankful he was there, but she didn't have strength to say anything else.

They were both soaking wet, but it didn't seem to matter. There were bigger worries in that moment and the demon didn't mind the rain as long as he could be with her.

"Aren't you cold?" she nodded and held him tighter, searching for warmness. The demon's body temperature was cozy and he seemed to be completely molded to hers. He kissed her cheek and, along with his breathing rhythm, he managed to calm her, although there were still tears coming out from her eyes, so he whispered on her ear "but most of all, I shall fulfill the roll I have with you; with my mate…"

Susana was astonished for a second, realizing the implications of Sebastian's words and the consequences of her acts, but most of all, because she didn't find it awkward, but comforting and she felt secure in his arms, allowing herself to cry a bit more while he accompanied her.

A few hours later, Susanna tried to sleep. She took another bath after the rain and, before going to bed, Sebastian prepared an herbal tea to help her relax. Nevertheless, an hour later, she was still having problems to fall asleep, so she went down to the kitchen. Perhaps another cup of tea would help her feel calmer, or at least distract her mind

When she entered the kitchen, she found Abby, who apparently had the same idea and was boiling some water.

"Miss… you can't sleep?" Abby kindly asked, her face looked tired and she had dark eye bags.

"I don't think anyone in the house can sleep right now."

"Would you like some tea?" Susanna nodded and looked through the window as she sat in one of the kitchen chairs. The garden was illuminated, since Sebastian left the lights on, as precaution "ever since I came here, the thing I liked the most about the house, was the garden. It's big and… it looks like, despite anything, it remains constant."

"Your grandfather enjoyed taking care of it." She handed Susanna a cup of tea and sat next to her "he used to tell us that Mrs. Eleanor used to do it before she passed away and, when she was gone, he felt he could spend time with her if he took care of the flowers. He spent the morning on his study and, during the afternoons, he went to the garden. When night fell, he went back to his studio with Sebastian" she made a small pause "I can now imagine what they talked about every day." She said thoughtfully.

"Did you ever thought he was plotting something dangerous?" Susanna wanted to know more about her grandfather.

"I knew it since the moment he hired me. It's just that, after losing my memory, this became my routine and it all seemed pretty normal to me. Besides, to be honest with you," she laughed for herself "It wasn't until you arrived, that the serious work began." She took a _sip_ from her tea and looked at the garden, remembering something "I came here a few weeks later than Fer. We were both hired with the same purpose: to help and assist Mr. Richard's grandson or granddaughter in anything. At first, we thought we would be like bodyguards, but after your grandfather died, we knew it was something more serious. Also, even though Sebastian's attitude didn't change, he tightened the security. He began to travel constantly and we never knew where he went, but he always came back after two weeks to make sure everything was fine in the house and take care of AstraZeneca's business."

"Since when did he start to look for me?"

"I always thought he began the day after Mr. Serafer died, but… something tells me he started long before that. I wouldn't be surprised if he looked for you in every corner of the world."

"Sebastian could be rather persistent." Susanna smiled with irony.

"A couple months later, he told us he found you and were very happy to hear the news. It gave us some kind of peace of mind after your grandfather died. We felt like something was unfinished. And yet, it took almost two years for you to come here. I have no idea what Sebastian did during that time. I supposed he wanted to make sure it was truly you."

Susanna was aware that the demon followed her for a while, but she never imagined it was for so long. What could Sebastian have found out during those months? For a second, she felt she was just another piece in the middle of a bigger scheme; as if her butler had anticipated it at. Nevertheless, she wondered if he had actually foreseen everything, or if he encountered surprises."

Maybe, he was also part of the scheme. One, that had been planned and started many years before. Destiny or coincidence? One thing was sure: many of the past events, seemed to be unavoidable.

"I'm not lying when I say that we were eagerly expecting you. Our jo was just starting, and it was also a way to reciprocate what you grandfather did for us. Fer and I were lost in life. We didn't have a job, money or a place to stay. We didn't even have family who could help us and you grandfather was like a paternal figure to us. He accepted us without a question, offered us a home and a purpose," suddenly, she looked at Susanna with determination "that's why…. I'll remain by your side, supporting you. Not only because of your grandfather; we need to stop that catastrophe. By now, this is more than a simple revenge. You'll need all the allies you can get."

"I know… but promise me something," Susanna's attitude became serious "now that you know the implications, it things get too dangerous, I want you to stay in a safe place. Don't take unnecessary risks and, most of all, take care of your soul."

"Alright, Miss" she smiled "but only if you do the same." Susanna was very surprised and after a moment, she smiled with melancholy.

"To be honest, I'm not sure if I still have a soul to protect…"

Meanwhile, from the shadows, Sebastian listened that las part of the conversation between the two girls. He didn't mean to, but when he heard Susanna speak her name, he decided to take a look.

He didn't remain there for long; he didn't want to meddle and he was aware that the girl needed some space, so he went back to his room and lay down on the bed. He wouldn't sleep. Truth to be told, he hadn't done it for decades. Instead, he stared at the painting Susanna gave him. It was the same that once was hanged in Richard Serafer's office.

No matter how many time he looked at it, it was always the same image: the old Greenwich on a sunny morning, with the moon and Venus in the sky. Six kids playing with a toy sword while some cherubs looked at them and, from the shadows, a dark creature was lurking.

The expression on the eyes of every character, was what fascinated him; while the cherubs suspiciously looked at the children, the dark individual seemed to be aware of the little angel's intentions, but at the same time, it was almost stalking.

Another thing that seemed intriguing about the painting, was that, even though the children were playing, two of them appeared to be distracted with something, while the other four, looked directly at the toy sword. Perhaps, there could be a story behind it, but for the moment, Sebastian had other things in mind, so he took Susanna's grandfather diary and read it again, hoping to find something that could help them against the fallen angel.

A day later, Fer's funeral was held. Only Abby, Mr. Haggard, the reapers, Sebastian and Susanna attended. It would be a sad, lonely and silent burial. None of them dared to say a word and just listened to what the solemn words of the priest, before saying that last goodbye."

A few minutes after the grave was covered, the priest left, leaving everyone there, still silent and with an air of defeat. They'd lost a family member.

Susanna's cry was mute. Her tears fell down as she _clinched_ her fists with enormous anger and impotence, because she couldn't stop his death. It was a mistake; she should never have let him accompany her to the tunnel. Once again, she was the cause of an innocent's death, someone ignorant of what was really going on. She never had the chance to explain the situation.

Would she have been capable of doing it?

The pain and sorrow would remain for days. Despite of losing her father a few weeks earlier, Susanna could never get used to lose someone, and she hoped she never would. She didn't want to imagine how it would be to become so insensible, as if part of her humanity would be lost along with it. A perfect example of it were the reapers, who were in front of her with serious stances and somber attitude. There was a chance they were a little worried about her, or even felt some sympathy towards her, Abby or Thomas, but they could never mourn Fer's decease, because it could even mean their own death.

Death was a day-to-day thing for the reapers. It was their job, their penitence for the terrible sin of voluntarily taking their own life, and yet, Ferdinand dying was quite unexpected.

William detested seeing Susanna suffering. He wanted to comfort and protect her from anything that could harm her, but he was powerless, since she was under the shadow and wardship of her butler, who as actually glaring at him in that very moment, as if he could read his mind.

It was not the right moment to argue, so William limited himself to discreetly sigh and look around as if nothing happened. Then, he looked at Ronald and Grell.

A moment later, they said their farewells and gave their condolences to Susanna's household. The Supervisor was the last one who did it, and as he approached Susanna, he looked at her with kindness on his eyes, as well as some deception.

"I'm really sorry for what happened. If you need anything… you know where to find me." He wanted to embrace her, but he restrained himself and wore that solemn mask he had used for many years.

"I really appreciate it, Will. I really do," Susanna made her best effort to smile and hide her tears "I… Know we have to deal with some other things, but… can we do it tomorrow?"

"Of course." He said solemnly and then looked at Sebastian, nodding and walking along with his subordinates towards the cemetery entrance. Then, they disappeared. They still needed to finish all the paperwork related to the explosion in the stadium and the Shinigami Dispatch was a real chaos.

Thomas an Abby were already heading for the car, crestfallen after their friend's death. The day was clear, there were no clouds in the sky and very little air. Ideal to enjoy summer, but that was the last thing Susanna would think about.

Sebastian was next to her, silent, as if he was waiting for the girl to say something, but not a single word left her mouth. The demon desired to touch her, hoping his touch could comfort her a little, but he knew Thomas and Abby could see them from afar, so he only rubbed her shoulder with a soft movement. It was not the time to rush things. Not with her like that.

"Is there something I can do for you?"

"Just… don't let me fall." Her eyes were sad when she looked for the demon's.

"Never." He embraced her with tenderness and walked towards the car.

Susanna spent the rest of the day in her studio, doing paperwork, with the company of a glass of rum, which emptied from time to time and a great unhappiness she wanted to face alone, so she instructed the butler that she didn't want to be bothered, unless it was urgent.

That night, she had a sandwich for dinner and she insisted on making it by herself, along with a cup of tea. Her appetite had considerably decreased, but there was always someone who kept reminding her how important was not to skip meals, and even though that someone kept his distance during the whole day, he also kept an eye on her.

A while later, Susanna was getting ready to go to sleep, wearing a comfortable pajama and looking at the ceiling, hoping to get bored enough to fall asleep, but she didn't have much luck and an hour later, she went to the bathroom to fill her glass with water.

The lights were off and the house was apparently completely silent. Not even the usual sounds of the bugs in the garden were heard and soon, the girl felt a shiver down her spine, along with a cold airstream behind her. With a hesitating movement, she turned to see if there was something behind her and, for a second, she swore her heart stopped when she saw a dark silhouette next to her.

As a reflex, she took a step back and dropped the glass he was holding, but as fast as it happened, the shadow leaned down to hold the glass and didn't let the water fall.

"You can't sleep?" the girl felt relieved when she recognized her butler's voice, who was handing her the glass.

"Sebastian! I think I just became ten years older" she complained and drank some water "you almost gave me a heart attack."

"My apologies" he had a seductive laugh "I didn't mean to scare you, although…" he got closer to her and whispered on her ear "that shiver you felt, was intentionally caused."

"And, of course, you excel at that" she answered and walked towards her bed "but now, I want to sleep."

"I can help with that too. Lay down, please…" after hearing his request, she looked at him with a raised eyebrow and suspicion for his true intentions "worry not, my dear. I won't do anything you don't ask me to and, if what you want is to sleep, I'm more than willing to fulfil your wish."

Susanna looked at him for a few seconds, trying to decide what to do. She trusted him, but she also knew he could use his tricks to seduce her and, to be honest, she wasn't so sure if she would be able to reject him anymore in a situation like that.

She sighed, laid down and an instant later she felt the demon lyingnext to her. It wasn't the first time he did it, but a burst of excitement made Susanna's heart beat faster, since she wouldn't have to hide her feelings, nor deny them this time.

Sebastian looked at her for a moment, trying to figure out what she was thinking and then he caressed her hair to make her relax a little, showing her a sweet and charming smile, and then, using a very smooth voice, he spoke.

"Did I ever tell you about the time I went to a party with Scott Fitzgerald?"

"Are you serious?" the girl sat in the bed, very surprised and looking at the demon with her eyes wide open.

"When have I ever lied to you?" the butler's satisfied smile made him look even more handsome "but if you want me to tell you a bedtime story, you should lay down…" then he took the girls arm and with a fast movement, pulling her towards him to embrace her as she cuddled on his chest "this is better…"

"How convenient…" she whispered and got comfortable as she embraced him.

"Isn't this pleasing enough for you?" the anguish on his expression could have convinced anyone.

"Much more than I dare to reckon," she held him tighter "but tell me, did you spoke with Scott Fitzgerald?"

"Of course," he smiled and stroked the girls arm with his left hand, while he used the right one to cover Susanna with the blankets. It was the decade of 1920, the I World War had just reached its end and the world had changed. Many customs became archaic and, I believe that, for the first time in many centuries, humans realized they could be their worst enemies and how fragile they are. Unfortunately, less than twenty years later, they made the same mistake…"

Sebastian nodded and continued caressing Susanna with tenderness, while his expression indicated he was remembering something as if it happened a few days earlier. His memories were so vivid.

"I wonder if someday, they'll understand… but, as I was saying, the 20's were quite interesting. It was a very prolific decade for art and, I'm quite sure you'd loved it. There was jazz everywhere. I dare say that, everything revolved around music and, there were particular social circles where artist gathered. Great writers, musicians and painters. All of them dedicated to their passions, inside a bohemian bubble where many let themselves get lost in addictions and other were driven by the romanticism of the epoch. Fashion changed and women became more liberal, which was evident on the dances…."

Sebastian continued describing the daily life and everything that surrounded him, talking about certain personalities in a very particular way. Susanna really enjoyed listening to him, as if his voice could clear her mind and take away her worries, because of the rhythm and the particular way he pronounced certain words. His voice always managed to lull her and give peace to her troubled mind, but this time, things were different.

They were very close and Susanna was cuddling with him; something she never though she could do, but she felt fine; comfortable and certain that he'd remain by her side for as long as she'd need. She wanted to hear the complete story, but Sebastian's voice and his rhythmic movements on her arm, managed to get her to sleep.

"…Scott Fitzgerald had two great weaknesses: his wife and alcohol. Both of them were great inspiration sources for his writing, but in that party, I noticed…" suddenly, he realized Susanna was already sleeping "…another day, perhaps..."

The demon interrupted his tale and carefully, turned his body so he could see her better. Since the first time he did it, he enjoyed to watch her sleep. Her expression was serene, but depending on her dreams, she sometimes frowned or tenderly smiled, as if nothing else mattered in the whole world. It was as if she reflected everything what meant to be a human with a single expression.

Sebastian's eyes showed his original form; brilliant pink. In that moment, he didn't have to pretend, so he allowed himself to look at her for as much as he wanted to, and the way he wanted to. Then, a smile appeared on his face. He was already used to step on uncharted territories, ever since he met Susanna.

Around 9 AM, Sebastian decided it was time for Susanna to wake up. They had to meet the reapers and also, he had planned something special for her, so with a soft movement, he took her hand and caressed it.

Her skin was warm and he could even fell her calm pulse. He could almost imagine how her heart beat, and then, as if it was a reflex, she squeezed his hand and moved under the sheets, with a very serene expression. It was then, that Sebastian used his thumb to caress her hand a little more, getting closer to her, with the intention that she felt him there and wake her up.

Then, he moved his hand and let it travel down Susanna's arm, with soft touches from her hand to her shoulder and, slowly, she began to wake up, but before she could open her eyes, a playful smile appeared on the butler's lips and, remembering what he was telling her the night before, he began to hum _let's do it, let's fall in lov_ e by Cole Porter.

"Do you really have to be so irresistible when asking for it? It's too early." She was, evidently, talking about the song lyrics.

"It's interesting you use the word irresistible, considering all the time it took you to accept you had feelings for me."

"Have feelings is not the same as falling in love."

"Then, I shall convince you."

Before Susanna could even consider what the demon had just said, she felt his lips hissing hers and, despite of doing it at a slow pace, she felt her pulse rushing, as if she got a shot of adrenaline. As for Sebastian, he didn't seem to have the slightest intention of accelerating the pace; on the contrary, his movements became slower.

He caressed Susanna's waist and thigh and then he separated from her, just enough so their lips were barely touching. She looked at him with her eyes half-closed, which was enough to encourage him to close the space between them, kissing her with more intensity. She enjoyed every passing second, as if it was her last chance to do it. She embraced him caressing his back and her hands were slowly going down, imagining what could be underneath his shirt, but before she could go below his waits, he stopped and, along with a mischievous grin, he said.

"Now that you are awake, I shall go and prepare your breakfast."

And acting as if nothing happened, Sebastian stood up from the bed ad opened the curtains, leaving Susanna practically speechless.

A little while later, once Susanna decided to take a bath to take off her mind from what had just happened, she began to think about other things, such as possible hiding spots in the house, where her grandfather could have left other clues. In any case, she knew the best way to honor Fer's memory, as destroying the fallen angel, so she would focus on having great determination to achieve it.

A few hours passed and Sebastian managed to convince her to go out to the garden and have some lemonade he specially made for her. That way, she might cheer up a little, so he decorated the table and made some tasteful snacks.

For a moment, she seemed to be more serene and even smiled while she saw the birds bathing on the pond and then, Sebastian got a little closer.

"Despite of having problems to fall asleep, you seem to be in a good mood, Milady." He said with his butler mask, almost perfect, but then he got closer to her and whispered on her ear with a seductive tone "but I'm sure I could make it even better."

"Is that so? How would you do that?" Susanna smiled, discreetly glancing at the house to see if Abby or Thomas were close. She didn't want to get caught.

"Well, for example, if I told you that you have a beautiful body, would you hold it against me?" she immediately pushed him and complained.

"Oh, come on, Sebastian!" She laughed, while he enjoyed seeing her smiling.

"What kind of butler would I be, if I couldn't even make you laugh." he bowed.

"You're exaggerating!" she laughed again, pleased with his jokes.

"Whatever, to put on a smile on your face." He made a pause "I was starting to miss it."

"Oh my, I think spending time with me is humanizing you." She said in disbelief.

"If that's what you want to think…" he smiled for himself and after a moment, Susanna stood up.

"I'll go and have a walk in the garden."

"Very well, I'll go to get some more ice for the lemonade. Apparently, the day will be quite hot."

They both took their own way and she headed to the back part of the garden, entertained with the different flowers around her. Thanks to the rainy season, the place was more lovely. There were flowers of different colors and the green grass was captivating.

She stopped near a tree, looking for the shadow, while the air refreshed her face. She had her hair tied in a ponytail and she put one of her bangs behind her ear. Then, she looked around, sighing with nostalgia and put her hand on her pocket, taking out the necklace Sebastian gave her. It was the only thing she had from her parents, but it didn't make her sad. Instead, it made her curious because of what was craved on the stone.

"My last breath"

The stone shone in a very unique way, as if light came out of its insides. Suddenly, she heard some steps getting closer and turned around to see Sebastian walking towards her.

"I wonder what he meant with my last breath."

"It was a gift from your father to your mother, what do you think he wanted to express?" the demon's face was serious as he looked at her.

"I'm not sure… it could be a farewell or a promise. I have no idea what they were like, how they thought, or their story, but… his last breath was for her." She showed him the stone and smiled, as he got closer to her to take the pendant.

"I don't know the meaning behind it but," he stood behind her, untying the scarf from Susanna's neck, exposing her skin. His hands didn't wear gloves and, with a soft movement, he moved her ponytail, exposing her neck even more "you could think it's an oath…" suddenly, she saw the scarf falling down to the ground, like in slow motion as she felt Sebastian fingertips caressing her neck, making her lose track of time "that I'll protect you until my last breath…" Sebastian's voice sounded on her left ear and his breath made her shiver.

Then, the demon untied he hair, taking the league on his hand and took to steps to finally face her. With a charming smile on the corner of his mouth, he showed it to her as he transformed it into a white rose.

Susanna was fascinated with the image in front of her eyes. She knew his demon powers were incredible, but she never thought he could do something like that. When he noticed it, Sebastian spoke with smooth voice.

"Perhaps, White is too simple for you…" suddenly, the rose started to change its color, turning red "and this is too ordinary," then, the rose changed again, and the color was very special; it oscillated between purple, blue and black.

She was astonished with Sebastian's actions and he offered her the flower, barely touching her hand when she took it, and then he looked at her in the eyes. There was a smile, not only on his lips, but his eyes, which were looking at her in a very special way.

Without giving it much of a though, Susanna slowly approached him to kiss him, trying to raise the demon's long for her. He enjoyed every instant before their lips met and, when they finally did, he held her waits as she embraced him by the neck, holding the rose he just gave her and eager to continue what they began earlier that morning.

At first, the kiss was slow, both of them barely moving and trying to control their breathing to relish the moment. Sebastian's hand caressed the girl's back and then went back to her waist, holding it softly, but as soon as he felt her biting his lower lip, he brought her closer to him and took a few steps to lean her on the tree behind them. The intensity raised immediately and he caressed Susanna's neck with his hands. His touch felt warm against the contract mark, causing pleasing sensations on her, while she kept touching the demon's back, feeling him close to her and breathing with agitation.

They separated for an instant, to look at each other in the eyes, trying to guess what the other might be thinking, but soon enough, they continued kissing. She was stroking his butler's black hair, tangling it on her fingers. Sebastian could felt her accelerated pulse, the blood running on her neck and his demon eyes betrayed him for an instant, while he left her lips to start kissing her neck. He barely touched her skin with his lips, when she felt the air abandoning her lungs because of the ardent sensation, but suddenly, a voice was heard.

"Miss Susanna?" it was Abby, who was getting closer "where are you? Mr. William, Grell and Ronald just arrived…"

"Abby… yes..." answered the girl, struggling so her voice sounded as normal as possible, since Sebastian was still kissing her neck and she could almost feel the mischievous smile on his like while he did it "I'll be right there…"

"I haven't seen Sebastian anywhere and…" Abby looked at the other girl with curiosity "are you alright?" she seemed confused, since Susanna was leaning on the tree and heavily breathing. The demon had apparently disappeared.

"Yes… it's just… too hot in here…" she took a deep breath and approached Abby, when Sebastian appeared behid her, with an impeccable appearance, as if nothing happened.

"I see you already informed Miss Susanna about the guest, Abby… could you please make some tea for the meeting?" he had a triumphal smile and the girl nodded, but looked at him with suspicion. He appeared out of nowhere, and is seemed rather odd, not to mention Susanna's attitude "Miss…" Sebastian looked at his mistress with a playful smile "they are expecting you."

"Of course…" she said as she swallowed and walked towards the house, the rose still on her hand. Sebastian followed her closely, double checking if his hair was perfect as always.

 _ **Author's notes.**_

 _ **We'll, we're getting closer to the end of this story. I really hope you're enjoying it and it took me longer than usual to update, but I was making sure to tie up some lose ends and fix things to begin with the last part of the story, so it took a while to connect everything because, even though it was inside my mind, I had to make it believable. Also, this time, it was harder for me to write Sebastian. I want to start building up some sexual tension between him and Susanna, but not soooo much, so it's quite difficult to find a middle point and don't make him too OOC**_

 _ **If anyone is interested, here's this chapter's ost:**_

 _ **While my guitar gently weeps, but a slower version than the original, for the funeral scene.**_

 _ **Let's do it (let's fall in love) con Ella Fitzgerald, when Sebastian wakes her up.**_

 _ **Crazy in love, Ray Kont versión, for the kissu nder the tree sccene.**_

 _ **Thanks for keep reading and, any comment or question is always welcomed. Take care!**_


	40. After the storm (William)

**Chapter 31. After the storm. (William route)**

While they ran away from the flood, Susanna wanted to cry so badly. She was about to lose all hopes and, despite being so close to William, a dew tears left her eyes. The reaper noticed it when she held him tighter, looking for his closeness and, for a brief instant, his expression softened, but he continued running so the water wouldn't reach them and in less than three minutes, they were back in Brompton cemetery catacombs.

Once they were outside, carefully, William let Susanna down and looked at her, wondering if she was still crying, but she wasn't. Instead, she avoided his gaze and turned towards Sebastian.

"Could you…?"

"Take him to the car? Right away." The Butler took Fer's body on his arms and walked towards where Mr. Haggard was waiting for them.

"Grell, go to the stadium. They'll need as much help they can get. I'll be there in a moment." William ordered the redhead, who seemed too quiet but then he disappeared with a buzz.

Finally, Susanna and Will were left alone, at least for a moment. He got closer to the girl in a protective way, still a little worried for her.

"Are you alright?" she looked at him in the eyes before starting to cry, while she hugged him, taking the reaper by surprise.

Her crying was rather loud, as if the tears weren't enough to get away from the pain she felt inside her chest. Her weeping made her throat hurt and left her almost breathless, regretting her impotence of not being able to save Fer or stop the summoning.

But, he was there for her, surrounding her with his arms and caressing her hair. He didn't say a word, because his mind was blanc and, although his heart wanted to say many things, he limited himself to remain like that, close to her. When she finally calmed sown, she sighed and spoke in low voice.

"You should go."

"No, until you feel better." His eyes were looking for hers.

"I'm good now." She smiled, but her eyes were still red and he arched an eyebrow "I really am."

"Alright." He separated a little from her and gave her his handkerchief "I'm sorry I cannot stay with you in these moments, but I'll be by your side as soon as I can."

"It's ok. You've got work to do, go." She tried to get away from Will's arms, but he didn't let her and brought her closer to Kiss her forehead. Then, he turned around and disappeared.

Susanna stood there for a couple more minutes and, when she was about to head back to the car, she noticed Sebastian was right behind her. She wasn't sure how long he had been there.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" he kindly asked.

"No… thank you, Sebastian." She showed him a faint smile "let's go home. The sooner this day is over, the better."

Lucky got them, there was no one else in the cemetery. The explosion in the stadium made the police put some barricades on the streets and they didn't let anyone in on the nearby streets. Nevertheless, they had to manage to get through the checkpoints in the city. The police and the MI5 were in charge of keeping order and look for the culprits, although despite all investigations, they would never find the true responsible; Demian was too careful to cover his tracks and the flooding on the tunnels would take care of erasing any possible loose end.

For Ronald, things weren't easy either. It took him a while to find Abby among the crowd and panic after the explosion. Also, none of them had the key, so they had to improvise a little so they could go back to the Serafer residence.

"Have you ever stolen a car?" the girl asked after seeing Ronald taking out some wired from below the wheel so he could start the car.

"No… this is something I learned…" he had a mischievous smile "…from the movies." it wasn't completely a lie, since he had seen it in several cinematic records.

"Oh, how perceptive." Abby raised an eyebrow, wondering about his true job. It couldn't be a coincidence that he had such abilities, much less, that he was into all this mess.

The girl was, apparently, serene, but she was actually worried. She knew something bad had happened, since she heard the explosion and the station was evacuated, but when Ronald found her, he didn't tell her what had happened; he didn't consider it appropriate, since someone had died and the angel was a constant danger. He'd wait until they were back home to do it, so he put on his best optimistic face to convince her.

Almost two hours later, Mr. Haggard was parking the car on the garage, back in the Susanna's residence. For a second after the car was off, they all remained motionless, as if they wanted to stop the time, avoiding what was coming next. The first one who moved was Sebastian, who looked at Susanna and with a solemn voice said.

"I'll take care of everything and… leave Fer in the studio. But first, I'd like to take a look at your…"

"First, I'd like to take a bath." She looked at him with tired eyes "don't worry, I'll keep the tourniquet on my hand." She went out the car and, before entering the house, she looked at Thomas, wearing an anguished expression "as soon as Abby is back, we'll explain everything. I owe you that."

Susanna lowered her gaze, ashamed and feeling guilty for Fer's death. As for Sebastian, he seemed quite serious and, before taking the young man's body, he told Thomas with a soft voice.

"Abby is coming back with Ronald. I hope they won't take long." He carried the body, but the chauffeur interrupted him.

"This goes far beyond you and I, doesn't it? It's bigger than us." Despite of remaining calm, Thomas was mortified.

"More than you can imagine…"

The butler went out of the car, walking towards the studio, carrying Fer. He wore an unclear expression on his face and Thomas thought there was something very strange on him; something that, for an instant, made him think he wasn't entirely human. He'd known Sebastian for several years now and he always thought he was a peculiar and extraordinary man. Someone quite special, but in that moment, his suspicions were almost confirmed.

A little later, Ronald an Abby arrived and Susanna, who was about to get in the bathroom to take a shower, went to greet them as fast as she could. She still had her bloody and thorn clothes, but considering the circumstances, she wanted to make sure Abby was safe and explain to her what happened. She wasn't sure there would be time for it later.

Luckily, they were safe. The reaped had a few wounds from the fight back in the tunnel, but he seemed to be fine, while the girl seemed rather scared and anxious.

Once everyone was gathered in the living room, Susanna took a minute to order her ideas and started to explain everything from the moment she arrived to London. Then, Sebastian continued talking about what happened before her grandfather's death. After all, the butler knew everything very well.

The demon explained that everything started a few generations before Richard Serafer, but he was the one who managed to managed to decipher how to stop the fallen angel from doing the Final linkage. Of course, he skipped all the unnecessary information, as well as the truth about himself and the grim reapers, but he insisted on the fact that they were facing something supernatural, almost taken out from a dark fantasy novel.

Then, he explained what happened that day, what Demian just did and the danger they faced, now the fallen angel was there. When he talked about Fer's death, Abby started to cry, along with Thomas, who held her to console her a little, but they were both devastated for the news. Even though the chauffeur knew what happened, he didn't know how it did, so Ronald explained it for them, since he saw the cinematic record and knew the details. Nevertheless, the truth was even harder to explain.

"I'm so sorry… forgive me…. I couldn't do anything." Susanna gathered all her strength to do it, and it was very hard for her to see Thomas and Abby in the eyes; she felt helpless and the memories of Fer's death were still fresh "I saw it happening, right in front my eyes and… I couldn't do anything. I'm… useless."

"Please, don't say that, Miss. You are not to blame for it and…" Thomas tried to console her, but Susanna interrupted him and stood up from the couch, looking through the window and trying to get away from everything.

"I couldn't have done anything to stop his death." She coldly added, hiding the tears that struggled for going out "but if I'd said no when you got involved in this; from the beginning… everything would be different." There was silence for a moment, and then Susanna stood up next to Sebastian and dried her tears, looking at Thomas and Abby with a serious expression.

"Now that you know everything and what might happen, I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to quit. I don't want to drag you to a battle that… might be already lost. I won't let you waste your life."

Ronald remained very serious and thoughtful. Truth to be told, he hadn't really considered all the implications the angel's arrival could bring. The thoughts on his head were like a twister and the worst scenarios appeared on his imagination, until they were unbearable, so he stood up and loosened his necktie.

"I… need some air. I'll be right back." Then he went out the house to take a little walk on the garden.

There was silence for a moment. Abby and Thomas seemed to be assimilating everything Sebastian and Susanna Explained, but then, Mr. Haggard spoke with serenity, as if he was thinking out loud.

"Since your grandfather was alive, I had my suspicions. There were too many coincidences and strange things happening around us, that I started to speculate about the nature of everything." Thomas looked at Sebastian with complicity. Despite of not knowing the truth about the butler, he knew there was something supernatural in him, but that wasn't the moment to find out "only such thing could have caused all those accidents, explosions, deaths and weather changes. Besides, all those books about occultism couldn't mean otherwise."

"Thomas, why didn't you say something before?" Susanna was shocked and wondered what else Mr. Haggard might know.

"I made a bow to your grandfather. I shouldn't interfere with Sebastian's actions and, I thought that saying something about it, could affect the result. Besides, I didn't want you to be mortified, Miss. You already have a great responsibility on your hands." He laughed for himself "although, I have to confess that… reality surpasses all my conjectures."

"I don't know what to say." Abby remained silent until that moment, trying to assimilate all the information Sebastian gave them. He knew Susanna and her grandfather were related to something dangerous, but she never thought it was that threatening "everything is so… unreal" she looked at everyone "hard to believe but… at the same time, it all makes sense." The girl sobbed and Thomas held her with tenderness, while Susanna sat next to her and, with tears in her eyes, she regretted it all.

A few minutes later, Ronald came back. This time, his tie was completely undone and his sleeves rolled up, which showed how tired and worried he was. He looked at everyone and then focused on Susanna.

"I just received a message from William… apparently, it'll take him a while to come here. Things back in the stadium are worse than we thought." He scratched his head and looked down "he also gave me instructions to remain here until he's back, as a safety measure."

"Sure, no problem," Susanna's voice sounded tired "I believe we're all exhausted. Why don't we rest for a while? I'll go to take a bath and…"

"You should be hungry. I'll prepare something to eat." Said Sebastian with a polite smile "in the meantime, please rest." He looked at Thomas and Abby.

Susanna wanted to be let alone for a while and, after taking a shower, she went out to the balcony of her room. She was looking at the garden, hoping to get distracted. She was sad because of Fer and she couldn't help but blame herself for it. Also, she was afraid of what was about to happen and many doubts invaded her, so she went down to the kitchen, looking for someone to talk, but she met Sebastian in the way. He was waiting for her in the living room. They looked at each other for a moment and then, the demon silently told her to sit down.

"May I?" she nodded and he kneeled before her, softly taking her wounded hand to put on a bandage, but not before checking if she needed stiches

Once he was sure the wound would heal fast enough, he proceeded with the bandage. His movements were slow and calculated, making sure she didn't feel any pain. None of them said a word, it had been a difficult day and Susanna seemed to had exhausted all her energy.

When Sebastian was done, he continued holding her hand and his eyes were focused on the girl, looking for her gaze and when he finally found it, he broke the silence with solemn words.

"Please, forgive me Milady. I couldn't anticipate what would happen."

"None of us could. We were surpassed by far."

"And it shall be the last time. I will not allow the fallen angel to fulfill his plans. Aside of being a threat, it defies my honor as a demon I also have a contract to fulfil. This is my oath to you." He put the girl's hand on his forehead and then he softly gently kissed her knuckles.

"Th…thanks…." She was almost speechless and the only thing she managed to do, was to stroke his shoulder in sympathy "we'll figure this oust…" her eyes were full of tears, but suddenly, she heard voices in the kitchen; Thomas, Abby and Ronald were there, eating what Sebastian cooked.

"You must be hungry. If you'd like to, I can bring you some food to your studio."

"No, thanks." She kindly declines "I'd… like to be with someone."

With that said, Susanna headed to the kitchen, meeting the reaper and her employees there, chatting and as soon as they saw her, they all smiled. Sebastian was right behind her, hurrying to serve her a plate of food.

"Wellington beef with asparagus and mashed potatoes. I hope you like it."

"I never thought I'd say this about the cooking abilities of your…" Ronald looked at Susanna and ten Sebastian "butler… but, this is great!"

"Well, he's never disappointed me." The girl laughed softly and took the fork and the knife to start eating.

A couple minutes later, Thomas excused himself and went back to his room to rest, while Sebastian prepared some tea. Ronald's extroverted and easy going personality, was just what they needed to get rid of the tension and gloomy mood Abby and Susanna had, but despite it, the reaper seemed to be a more serious than usual.

Suddenly, Ronald stood up, saying he wanted to take a look around the house to make sure there was nothing suspicious, while Susanna looked through the window, sighing. The garden was illuminated, since the butler just turned on the lights.

"Ever since I came here, the thing I liked the most about the house, was the garden. It's big and… it looks like, despite anything, it remains constant."

"Your grandfather enjoyed taking care of it." She handed Susanna a cup of tea and sat next to her "he used to tell us that Mrs. Eleanor used to do it before she passed away and, when she was gone, he felt he could spend time with her if he took care of the flowers. He spent the morning on his study and, during the afternoons, he went to the garden. When night fell, he went back to his studio with Sebastian" she made a small pause "I can now imagine what they talked about every day." She said thoughtfully.

As for Sebastian, he discreetly went to the studio to take care of Ferdinand's funeral arrangements. He wanted to give the girls some space so they could talk freely.

About an hour later, the demon went back to his room and lay down on the bed, meditative about the near future. He didn't know what to expect from the fallen angel, or when, since he could appear any minute, or even perform the final linkage ritual whenever he wanted. The whole situation made Sebastian rather uneasy.

He stared at the painting Susanna gave him. It was the same that once was hanged in Richard Serafer's office.

No matter how many time he looked at it, it was always the same image: the old Greenwich on a sunny morning, with the moon and Venus in the sky. Six kids playing with a toy sword while some cherubs looked at them and, from the shadows, a dark creature was lurking.

The expression on the eyes of every character, was what fascinated him; while the cherubs suspiciously looked at the children, the dark individual seemed to be aware of the little angel's intentions, but at the same time, it was almost stalking.

Another thing that seemed intriguing about the painting, was that, even though the children were playing, two of them appeared to be distracted with something, while the other four, looked directly at the toy sword. Perhaps, there could be a story behind it, but for the moment, Sebastian had other things in mind, so he took Susanna's grandfather diary and read it again, hoping to find something that could help them against the fallen angel.

About half an hour later, Sebastian was studying Richard Serafer's diary, but suddenly, he became very alert and his demon eyes showed for an instant. He detected a presence and right away, he headed to the main door, to face that individual.

As soon as the door opened, he saw a familiar presence he didn't quite approve. It was an individual with black suit, approaching with steady steps towards the house, and when they were close enough, they both looked at each other with serious expressions.

"Mr. Spears…" Sebastian looked at him with disdain "I was kind of hoping I wouldn't have to see you again, at least for the rest of the day."

"Oh, I'm sure you did, but as a matter of fact, I do have some business here."

"Of course, " the demon smiles with hypocrisy and looked at the reaper with attitude of superiority "are you here for business or pleasure?" it was evident he wanted to angry William, but suddenly, a tiny smile showed on the Supervisor's face and his eyes shone for an instant before answering.

"A little bit of both, to be honest." In that moment, Sebastian's eyes became pink and threatening, glaring at the other man, but the reaper only answered with a triumphal glance "now, if you'd excuse me, I'd like to speak with Susanna." He took three steps forward to enter the house, but the demon didn't move from the door and use their closeness to look at him with a very _serious_ expression.

"Just remember: in the end, I'll be the one who gets her soul." He almost whispered and William felt an impulse to punch him in the face, but he didn't do it and chose the diplomatic way of words. Nevertheless, before he could say something, someone approached them.

"Is something wrong?" the voice sounded worried.

"Nothing, milady." Sebastian looked at Susanna with a kind smile "I noticed Mr. Spears was here, so I came here to open the door for him."

"Of course…" she raised an eyebrow "it's amazing how you two get along so well…" she said sarcastically and approached them.

"I came here as I as I could." The reaper said with formal attitude, but suddenly, another voice coming from the garage was heard.

"Boss!" Ronald hurried to go near William "I thought it'd took you longer to get here. Is work at the stadium finally done?"

"Yes it is…" the Supervisor was standing right next to the main door and looked at his subordinate and then at Susanna "would you excuse me for a moment? I need to speak with Ronald."

"Sure. I'll be in the living room." Susanna showed him a warm smile and walked away as she told Sebastian something.

Leaving the door barely opened behind him, William walked next to the other reaper. They went to the front garden, where they talked for a few minutes. The Supervisor wanted a detailed inform of the day.

"… And that's what happened while you were gone. You went out the portal on the best moment. Otherwise, we might not be talking now. As soon as we came back here, the demon and Susanna explained all things related to the angel for Thomas and Abby. Everything, except our identities and, obviously, Sebastian's, although I got the feeling Mr. Haggard is a little suspicious."

"I see… and hat about Ferdinand's cinematic record?"

"It was rightly collected. His name appeared on my to-die-list all of a sudden, and that was when I realized what was going on. Apparently, Sebastian already took care of the funeral preparations and…" he made a small pause, showing a concerned look "they all seem very affected by what happened and, with Susanna in that state, I don't think we can achieve much in regards of the angel."

"I see. It's been a rough day." William took a deep breath and then continued "the dispatch is a real chaos right now. We had to ask other departments for help, even the Canterburry and Oxford divisions sent reinforcements."

"Wow! We hadn't work like this since World War II."

"Indeed, but the situation requires it. The stadium had more than 40,000 people inside. It was practically a miracle the deceases __were much less than that number" he made a small pause and looked at the night sky "4,579 souls were collected today in the stadium. There were approximately 10, 837 wounded and, around 300 of them will die in the next hours. On top of that, we have the usual load of work."

"Oh my… this should be the deadliest event on the last decade… without a doubt, it will mean lots of overwork." There was an air of defeat on Ronald's voice and, for the first time since he got there, William noticed how tired the young man looked. He wasn't wearing his tie and there were dark circles under his eyes, which weren't shining as usual. He had to be exhausted "what are we going to do?" he spoke, not really expecting an answer, as if he was talking to himself.

"Let us focus in one thing at the time. If the angel wanted to perform the Linkage ritual with urgency, he'd already done it. He must be waiting for something and I have a hunch it is related to Susanna, so our best option is to remain near her for the time being." Ronald nodded and William looked at the house, sighing and feeling a headache starting on his nape "you've got until tomorrow to present the written report. Meanwhile, you can go home."

"Really?" Ronald seemed surprised and rather relieved after hearing his boss' words. He was sure he'd have to work overtime "thank you, sir… eh… are you planning on stand guard?"

"Probably. I need to speak with Susanna first." He looked at the house, worried for the girl "and depending on that, I might have to stay here until tomorrow, besides…" the Supervisor seemed concerned, evidently considering the inconveniences of such thing.

"Oh, my… staying here all night, you say?" Ronald's voice was mischievous and a playful smile appeared on his face while he looked at his boss, who compulsively adjusted his glasses and glared at him.

"I expect your report on my desk, tomorrow at first time in the morning." His attitude abruptly changed, and he became colder and rather grumpy.

"Of course!" the young reaper was quite aware what he was getting himself into, so he hurried to leave "…see you tomorrow and get some rest... eh, I mean not so much, sleep tight… or…" William raised an eyebrow, showing his impatience and annoyance "I'll see you tomorrow in the office."

A moment later, Ronald disappeared with a buzz and William took another deep breath, looking at the ground and denying with his head. When the Supervisor finally entered the house, he headed to the living room, were Susanna was expecting him, very focused on a book she was reading.

Without hesitation, he approached her and he sat next to her, practically letting himself fall in the couch. It had been an awful day in more than one sense. Also, going to the demonic dimension was exhausting and, even though he recovered a little when he was back, the soul recollection had been though. On the other side, there was a bunch of accumulated work back in the office, but being in charge of the operation against the angel, he could delegate a couple responsibilities.

"I wanted to get you some tea, but then I thought coffee would be better." Susanna pointed at the cup on the coffee table.

"I appreciate it." William kindly said, but the exhaustion could be heard on his voice and he immediately took a sip from his cup "what are you reading?"

"It's my grandfather's diary… well, one of them. There has to be something useful in here, but…" she sighed "I can't find it. To be honest, I don't even know what I'm looking for. Besides, there are plenty of things I don't understand in here, mostly because they are written in another language."

"May I?" he looked at the book and then at Susanna. Then, he took the diary and started to read through it "it's similar to the one that beast that pretends to be your butler, has."

"Yes, he's guarding one of them, as a precaution. What's written there is… pure evil."

"Do you mind if I take this for research purposes?" he suddenly became serious "I might find something that could help us.

"All yours."

"Thank you."

William checked the diary again and then put it on his lap. He wasn't wearing the suit jacket anymore, although his vest was buttoned, making him look casually elegant. Carefully, he loosened his tie and relaxed a little while he leaned back on the couch, closing his eyes for an instant.

There was silence for a moment. Susanna was worried for him, but seeing him next to her, calmed her a little. She looked at his handsome face and how manly he seemed with that expression of calm, but she knew that deep inside, he was worried about the angel. It was the first time she saw him like that, with his eyes closed and quietly breathing, showing himself vulnerable, at least for a while.

For an instant, Susanna wanted to forget about everything and enjoy the reaper's company, in a comfortable silence and his closeness. Something strangely comforting after what happened on that day. She felt sad, but in that moment, there was something inside her what made her smile.

The girl continued lost in her thoughts a little longer, until the reaper's eyes focused on her, and she felt a little embarrassed for staring for that much time.

"Are you alright?" William slightly tilted his head to get close to her and look at her better. The sun had already set and there was fire on the fireplace, illuminating the room.

"I think so," he felt a little confused, also leaning back on the couch to rest and look at the ceiling "I'm sad, I feel useless and nervous. I'm afraid and, at the same time, I have a great determination, but I don't know what to do…" she sighed "but, at least for now, I feel like…" she looked at him in the eyes "… I can relax…"

"Then, do it." He answered "I don't think anything else will happen today."

"I hope not… but… what happened with you, guys?"

"A portal opened on the ground. The same thing that happened with you and… that demon, happened to Grell and I. We ended up in a demonic dimension" he remembered the disturbing images of that place and his eyes darkened. Then he looked at the fireplace "we didn't have a clue of how to get out of there and every passing second, out strength abandoned us. I should reckon that, if it weren't for…" he made a disapproval face "Sebastian, we may not have been able to come back. For that, I'm grateful… and because he stopped you from falling there as well." He looked at her again, with some relieve on his eyes "it would have been fatal for a human."

"What kind of place was it?" she was curious.

"Bizarre, like a place that has never seen the sunlight. It was warm and there were noises I don't even want to imagine where they came from or what they were. There were also abandoned buildings in ruins, cobbled streets and… demons. It wasn't a frightening sight, but just being there, caused shivers, s if there was no hope left."

"Did something else happened to you guys there?" Susanna began to worry. Perhaps, there was something William wasn't telling her.

"Not at all, only the constant feeling of getting weaker and weaker. Your grandfather's diary helped Sebastian open a portal back to this dimension and… I'm glad we came back when we did. I don't know what might have happened if we had remained there longer." There was silence for a moment "but I would have wanted to be back sooner."

William looked at her with compassion and sorrow, then he turned his eyes to Susanna's wound in her hand. With elegant movements, he took off his black leather gloves and took one of the girls arms, barely touching the contour of the wounds made by the ropes used to tie her. Then, he took the other arm and looked at the bandage on her hand, perfectly done and covering the cut so it wouldn't get infected.

"He made a fine work with the bandage." He was evidently talking about Sebastian. The reaper's expression was serious, but his eyes were kind and sincere.

"The wound is not that big, so I don't need stiches." The girl didn't want William to worry too much. She knew he already had way too many pressures on his back, to add something else.

Susanna only got a growl and a sigh as a response from the Supervisor, who kept looking at her wound. Then, he touched the girl's face, getting closer to her. Immediately, Susanna felt the temperature on her face rising, but the reaper ignored it. He was very focused on examining her wounds: a bruise on her cheekbone, her nose swollen and a little cut on her lower lip. It was a silent and intimate moment and the girl's heart accelerated even more, noticing how close they were.

With the gentlest touch, he caressed her cheekbone, using his thumb as if he was unconsciously trying to disappear the bruise.

"Does it hurt?"

"Just a little." She smiled and enjoyed the soft touch of his fingertips on her face, tracing invisible lines around her lips and then he stopped for a few seconds. The reaper's deep gaze made her feel nervous but he seemed to be taking his sweet time, contemplating her with calm.

Suddenly, William's mind became blanc and for some reason, he didn't seem capable of take his eyes off her, wandering around her lips and wishing to be closer, until he came back to his senses and with an innocent glance, he asked again.

"And here?"

"Not enough to keep you from kissing me." She mischievously smiled, waiting for Will to do it.

A second later, the reaper took the girls chin and got closer to softly kiss her lips. He didn't want to cause her any pain on the cut and, when Susanna noticed it, she moved to get even closer and kiss him the way she wanted to.

Perfectly understanding the message, Will kissed her slowly, but in a deeper way, while he caressed her face, from her chin to her cheek and then the neck, making her moan after feeling the contact of his fingers with her sensitive skin.

When they finally separated, she smiled and looked at him with caring eyes and he answered with a small smile, embracing her while she snuggled on his chest.

They remained like that for a few minutes, until William broke the silence and with a serious tone he spoke.

"If the angel wanted to make the final linkage, he would have done it already."

"He must be waiting for something," she whispered, feeling who Will's chest moved every time he breathed, lulling her "or someone…" he felt his arm holding her tighter.

"I'm afraid." The Supervisor's voice was dry as she began to play with his necktie "the truth is, he hasn't come for you. I believe we can rest assured for now, although I don't know for how long."

"We need to find out the exact date and…" she made a pause, gulping "his plans for me. That has to be the key."

For a moment, William though about the worst scenario and he felt the anguish invading him. Likewise, the fatigue started to bother him even more and he was tempted to fall asleep right there, in the couch with Susanna in his arms, but he abandoned the idea and leaned to kiss her hair with tenderness and then stood up.

"I should go. It's the most prudent thing to do, but before that, I'd like to send a message." he adjusted his tie and put on his gloves "I'd like to put some reaper guards in here…" Susanna was about to say something, but another voice interrupted them.

"I don't think that would be necessary." Sebastian walked in the living room "I'm more than enough to take care of milady." The demon looked at the reaper with persuasion on his eyes.

"Sebastian, I thought I told you…."

"That you didn't want to be bothered," The butler interrupted "but I though it necessary to inform you that Ferdinand's funeral will be held tomorrow at 10 AM."

"I understand, thank you." Susanna looked at the fireplace, remembering what happened and William remained thoughtful for a moment.

"You might be right." The Supervisor spoke seriously, remembering the chaos back in the reaper dispatch "In that case, I shall see you tomorrow in the funeral."

"Yeah… go and get some rest," Susanna stood up from the couch and went near Will "you look very tired… oh, by the way, aren't you hungry? I highly doubt you ate anything today; would you like to stay for dinner?"

"I…" that surprised the reaper. He couldn't remember the last time someone asked him that and, indeed, he hadn't eaten anything since the day before, but the tiredness was stronger and he was about to reject the offer, but Sebastian interrupted him.

"My lady, I' m sure Mr. Spears is very tired and he must be anxious to go back home..." The butler's voice was insistent.

"Oh, aren't you worried about him." She sounded rather annoyed.

"I'm sorry, but I must be going," William's cold and distant attitude was back and, while he adjusted his glasses, he looked at the girl "but, I'd be honored if you'd see me to the door."

"Of course." She smiled and walked with him, but not before telling Sebastian to stay in the house and wait for her in the living room, leaving him without much choice but to obey.

Susanna opened the door and went outside with the reaper. She didn't want the demon listening their conversation, although she knew that was a rather difficult thing to accomplish. Still, she wanted to put some distance between them.

"I'll see you tomorrow at the funeral..." William looked at the sky, it was about to start raining "I'd like to have a meeting with everyone, so we can figure out the final linkage date and… see if we can discover something else, but I'm afraid there will be a huge amount of work in the office, at least for tomorrow. The reports have to be ready before 6 PM sharp, so… can we do it the day after tomorrow?"

"Sure. Morning sounds fine?" He nodded as a response.

"I'm sorry for declining your invitation, but tomorrow, I have to be in the office before 6 AM" he made a pause and Susanna frowned. He really worked so much, but her thoughts were interrupted by the reaper's words "particularly, if I hope you will not refuse my invitation to dinner tomorrow night."

"Are you serious?" how wouldn't he? Just by looking at his serous expression, he seemed to be asking for an audience with the Prime Minister "I thought you had a lot of work."

"I do. That is why I'll start early. My shift ends at 6, but I expect all kinds of complications, so I will probably finish by 8. I can pick you up at 8:30, if you accept my invitation."

"Of course." She smiled, adoring the way William seemed to be so thoughtful and serious at the same time, as if he paid attention to every detail and used it to his advantage, without even being aware of it.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then." He softly took Susanna's hand and his expression relaxed before kissing her softly and giving her a chaste kiss on the back of her hand.

For an instant, the girl felt her heart skip a beat, along with plenty of emotions inside her chest and, the only thing she could do, was to embrace him and kiss him withal the longing she felt. He responded by taking her waist and caressing her back. Their breathings, slowly became more and more agitated, while the reaper struggled to keep his hands from wandering so much, but the way she was kissing kissed him made it quite difficult. Suddenly, a raindrop fell right on Susanna's forehead and then two of them feel on William's neck, so they stopped kissing and separated.

"I… I should go…" he said as he tried to recover his breath.

"Alright." She nodded, and saw how he turned around, ready to leave and abruptly she said in a very spontaneous way "dream about me…" there was silence for an instant and he couldn't move. His back facing her, so Susanna couldn't see his expression. Then, William turned with a very slow movement and only to look at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Always…" then, he disappeared.

The next day, Susanna woke up early and without much energy, he walked to the dresses, looking for the right clothes for Fer's funeral. Apparently, mourning clothes were no part of her daily life.

Only Abby, Mr. Haggard, the reapers, Sebastian and Susanna went to the burial ceremony. It was a lonely, sad and silent funeral. Melancholy could even be sensed on the air and, occasionally, the girls' sobbing was heard.

Thomas cried as well, but he did it in silence, remaining by Abby's side, who was truly devastated and that was the moment when Susann realized how close they were, so once the coffin was buried, she hugged her, as if she wanted to take away all of her sorrow, but knowing it would be in vain.

Once the ceremony was over, the employees went back to the car and the reapers left, but not before giving their condolences, William being the last to disappear from the cemetery, because he wanted to make sure Susanna was alright and then he said farewell by telling _I'll see you later tonight_ , leaving the girl with some worry, since, despite his actions, his attitude was a little distant and absent.

Closely, Sebastian saw the whole scene y and when he was along with his mistress, he looked at her in a very peculiar way, as if he was trying to understand something and with a warm smile, he approached her to accompany the girl to the car, offering his arm so she could lean on him.

Meanwhile, on the reaper dimension, there was uncertainty and anxiety everywhere. The day before, with the Stamford Bridge explosion, the Management Division of the Reaper Society was overwhelmed by work and many workers coming from the Oxford and Canterbury offices, were sent as support to collect all the souls. With almost 48 hours of anticipation, the Supervisor of said Division, notified the higher-ups of a possible contingency that could cause the death of thousands of people, so they took the appropriate measures to make sure the collections were done in time. Inside William T. Spears' communicate, the possibility of type D demons appearing was pointed out, so a substantial and complex operative was organized.

News of what happened traveled fast around the offices of the world, but the special assignment William, Grell and Ronald had, was a top secret matter, so no one really knew the reason behind the incident. Naturally, the rumors started to spread.

The last thing the higher ups wanted, was to create panic. Nevertheless, the Supervisor's inform about the angel's summoning, caused alarm and the higher-ups called an emergency meeting, that day at 12 PM. The meeting lasted, exactly an hour. Thanks to the countless years William had been working there, he could anticipate his superior's questionings and offered possible solutions and strategies in order to solve the problem.

Punctual and scrupulous like always, the Supervisor explained the evolution of the situation, the details of the events from the day before and he was very cutting when he made clear the only viable choice to get rid of the enemy, would be the use of ancient knowledge related to myths forgotten by men; the same kind that are actually true and speak of creatures condemned to the deepest darkness.

In order to accomplish that, the fastest way would be to keep cooperating with Susanna Serafer, who held a key element to solve the whole scheme. She also represented an important link for the reapers, since having a contract with a demon, could facilitate a possible alliance, in case they had to face the final linkage's last consequences.

After exposing the situation and receiving a scolding from his superiors, William went back to his office, with way more pressure than he already had. He had to get results and he had now a deadline for it.

Since the moment he woke up that morning, he knew the meeting wouldn't be an easy one and the stress showed up since 5:45, when he took his first step inside the office, and two high piles of reports were on his desk, waiting for him to review and sign, along with a box full of forms and requisitions to archive the cinematic records and authorize the library employees overtime, in order to archive everything.

It wouldn't be an easy day for William and, despite advancing a considerable amount of work in the lapse of four hours, he was very concerned, so after being authorized to take the necessary measures to stop the Final Linkage, he took an unprecedented decision.

"Come on in." Said the Supervisor when he Heard someone knocking on his door

"Will, dear, did you summon us?" Grell entered along with Ronald.

"Yes, I did." His eyes showed great determination, while his face remained expressionless "today, at 6 PM shark, we'll have 48 hours to find a solution for the fallen angel problem." Both subordinated looked at each other in disbelief.

"But Will, we don't even know where to start and…" Grell seemed worried.

"I've got in my hands, something that could be useful" he took Richard Serafer's diary "besides, I've received the authorization to access the old archives of the library."

"The restricted section?" Ronald was rather impressed "you mean we can check…"

"I might have not been clear when I said, I received authorization as in first person singular." Grell and Ronald looked disappointed. Only a few reapers had been granted Access to those records on the past 2,000 years "What I need you to do, and I have to admit it was a difficult decision to make, is to review and sign the reports from yesterday's collections, as well as fill the forms and requisitions for the department of cataloging. Everything must be ready at 6 o'clock this afternoon.

"Will, honey, I'm so happy you reckon our work and…"

"Honestly…" he fixed his glasses "unfortunately, you are the most capable people in this area. Your continuous failures, must have familiarized you with every single possible of mistake when handing a report. That is why you are the most qualified reapers for this work and between you two, I trust everything will be ready by 6. As for Mr. Knox, I suppose his many contacts on the multiple divisions of the dispatch," he looked at the blond with reproach "helped him to learn the correct way to fill a form."

"You can count on it, boss!"

"I'll be back at 5, before the administrative closure. If you happen to find complications oy any sort," he made emphasis in that last part "send a message to the librarian as soon as possible, and he will notify me. Did I make myself clear?" none of them said anything else "very well, then I'll see you in a few hours" and without saying another word, he disappeared from the office.

"Oh, my… I never thought I'd see Will trusting us with his work." Grell walked around and sat on the Supervisor's chair "I'm so happy! I always knew he was watching us from the shadows!"

"I… don't think he had an option," Ronald looked at his colleague with skepticism and then at the furniture of the office "but I wonder if… this means we can use his coffee machine?" he said as he looked at the sophisticated machine "I've always wanted to taste one of these…"

A couple minutes later, William walked through the cinematic record's library. He felt rather apprehensive after delegating part of his responsibilities, and yet, Grell and Ronald were his best employees in the dispatch, as well as the most trustworthy, so he calmed himself a little. Since the night before, he found a couple of interesting notes on the diary, but he wanted to corroborate some things with ancient documents.

When he arrived to the restricted section, the door guardian looked from head to toe with an inquisitive attitude.

"The Supervisor of the Management Division himself. The higher-ups must hold you in high esteem, to allow you in this section. Especially, when the whole dispatch is going crazy because of the loads of work."

"I'm just doing the task that was assigned to me. _ **"**_

"And I wonder what it might be…" the doors opened, showing a huge hall with dark wooden details. There were tall bookcases everywhere, containing antique books and cinematic records.

"Just do your job and don't meddle in other people's business." William adjusted his glasses and entered, looking for the most antique documents.

He looked for references about the fallen angels and old witchcraft; anything that could be useful and the restricted section had the cinematic records of those people who lived during the first days of mankind, as well as documents related to superstition, occultism and knowledge lost in time. Casually, exactly what they needed.

Thanks to the Serafer diary, he could follow some clues, but the most important was one that made reference to a particular object; one that neither the cinematic records nor the diary mentioned in detail, but that, combined with the right ritual, cold turn into a weapon even more powerful than a death scythe.

Immediately, William thought about that quote on Richard Serafer's letters: _Congregati septem, adducebunt illum. Dum Deus sit mortus, tantum gladius et diabolus praebalebunt adversus eum_ ; together, the seven will bring it back. While God is dead, only the blade and the devil could win against him. God is dead and we have killed him.

After some conjectures, the reaper was convinced that object has to be said sword, but for some reason it was not named as such. Instead, it was named in Latin as ultimum spiritum and it appeared multiple times in what seemed to be a spell on the diary. If they could get that specific object, they would be much closer to defeat the angel.

William leaned back on the chair he was sitting, sighing with some relief and anxious for the meeting next day, where they could decipher what ultimum spiritum meant.

With a serious expression and satisfied with his findings, the Supervisor left the restricted area and went back to his office, almost exactly at 5 o'clock. Just in time to prepare the administrative closure of the collections.

Once he was in his office, he found Grell and Ronald apparently exhausted and, despite of being two of them, they weren't working as fast as he expected. Grumbling, he joined them to finish with the reports, while the other two took care of the forms.

Fifteen minutes before 6 o'clock, the piles of reports were finished and the only missing thing, was the final report required by the office, which William could write in less than five minutes, so he sent Grell and Ronald to deliver the reports to the library and hand the forms on the cataloging office.

Three minutes before 6 in the afternoon, the Supervisor handed the document with the administrative closure of the day before. Along the considerable number of years he'd been on his charge, he'd never delivered a single document after the deadline; something he took pride in, despite meaning the huge amount of overwork.

When he was back in his office, he sat on the chair to order his thoughts and noticed he still had a great amount of forms to fill, so he took his fountain pen and began to write a note.

" _Dearest Susanna:_

 _I sincerely hope the funeral didn't affect your mood on a negative way and, if it did, I trust it improved along the day._

 _The reason why I'm writing this, is to ask of you something quite important, but at the same time, I feel terribly ashamed of doing it: could we meet tonight at 9, instead of 8:30? I'm afraid I still have plenty of work to do and I shall finish it in the next couple hours. I do not wish to cancel our date, so I'm asking you this favor, please go at 9 o'clock to the address on the back of this letter._

 _I'll be there, eagerly waiting for you._

 _Affectionately yours,_

 _William T. Spears"_

Once he finished writing, the reaper called one of his special messengers and tied the letter to its leg, seeing as it flew towards the horizon. Then, he decided to make himself some coffee to continue with his work, noticing someone has used his coffee machine…

 _ **Author's notes:**_

 _ **We'll, we're getting closer to the end of this story. I really hope you're enjoying it and it took me longer than usual to update, but I was making sure to tie up some lose ends and fix things to begin with the last part of the story, so it took a while to connect everything because, even though it was inside my mind, I had to make it believable.**_

 _ **And, for the followers of this fanfic playlist the scene when Will and Susanna are in front of the fireplace, I wrote with "You and me" by lifehouse in my mind.**_

 _ **Take care, guys!**_


End file.
